THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD. 113 
distance of several rods; up they mount, rushing against 
and striking each other with their sharp little bills, until 
they are both lost to the sight: presently our acquaintance 
descends to the twig where his mate is seated, and struts 
before her with a pride much larger than his body, ap- 
parently anxious for her approval of his courage. She 
caresses him; and, after he has adjusted his plumage, off 
they shoot for other scenes and: pleasures. 
About the first week in June, the Humming-bird com- 
mences building its nest: this is composed of a soft down, 
that is taken from the stems of some of the ferns; it is 
covered entirely with lichens, which are glued on with the 
saliva of the bird, giving it the appearance of a mossy knot. 
It is usually built on the upper side of a limb; but I have 
known of cases of its being built in a forked twig. The 
whole fabric is about an inch and a half in diameter, and 
about that in depth externally ; it is hollowed about half an 
inch, and is three-fourths of an inch in diameter internally ; 
it is lined with soft, downy substances detached from flying 
seeds. The eggs are two in number, white, and nearly 
elliptical in shape, being of about equal size at both ends. 
Length of eggs, about .45 inch; breadth, about .31 inch. I 
am inclined to think, that, in the latitude of New England, 
this bird raises only one brood in the season; but further 
south it undoubtedly rears two. The period of incubation 
is ten days. 
On approaching the nest, the parent bird immediately 
flies at the intruder; and it was by this means that I have 
been enabled to find specimens of the nests, when I could 
not possibly have done so if their locality had not been 
betrayed by the bird herself. I have heard of young birds 
being taken from the nest when nearly fledged, kept for 
several weeks, and fed with nothing but sweetened water ; 
but they always died after a short confinemént, and I believe 
that it is impossible to keep this bird as a pet, from the 
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