T. COLUBRIS : RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD, 59 



Family TROCHILID^; Humming-birds. 



RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD. 



TrOCHILUS COLUBRIS L. 



Chars. Upper parts golden-green ; below white, with green sides ; 

 a metallic gorget on the throat, reflecting rich ruby-red; wings 

 and tail dusky-purplish, the latter forked, with narrow, pointed 

 feathers. Female similar, lacking the gorget ; tail black-barred, 

 with some feathers white-tipped. Length of male, 3.25 ; wing, 

 1.66; tail, 1.25; bill 0.66. Female smaller. 



These jewelled feathers are so precious that with all 

 the boundless wealth of nature economy must be prac- 

 tised in the use of such materials ; which is one reason 

 why the Humming-bird is so diminutive a creature. It 

 is found throughout New England in summer; for, al- 

 though so delicate in physique that a cobweb may en- 

 snare the tiny creature and even cause its death, the 

 Hummer is full of spirit and fire, and goes well, like a 

 lady's watch, unless some touch too rude should interfere 

 with the movements of so exquisite a mechanism. The 

 adjustment of its vital forces is delicate in the extreme, 

 and so subtile is the play of parts, that even emotion, 

 such as terror, or dismay, or anger, may destroy life ; 

 yet, so long as the creature has its freedom to act, and 

 its right to happiness, no braver bird flies. Fancy a 

 Humming-bird attacking a man in defence of its nest ! 

 Yet it never hesitates to engage the giant like a very 

 king of Lilliput, buzzing about as mad as a hornet, and 

 making furious if futile thrusts with its rapier-like bill. 



