THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD. 115 
through the winter. Unfortunately, however, by some means it 
got at large; and, flying about the room, so injured itself that it 
soon after died. 
“ This little bird is extremely susceptible of cold; and, if long 
deprived of the animating influence of the sunbeams, droops, and 
soon dies. A very beautiful male was brought me this season 
(1809), which I put into a wire cage, and placed in a retired, 
shaded part of the room. After fluttering about for some time, the 
weather being uncommonly cool, it clung by the wires, and hung in 
a seemingly torpid state for a whole forenoon. No motion what- 
ever of the lungs could be perceived, on the closest inspection, 
though, at other times, this is remarkably observable; the eyes 
were shut; and, when touched by the finger, it gave no signs 
of life or motion. I carried it out to the open air, and placed it 
directly in the rays of the sun, in a sheltered situation. In a few 
seconds, respiration became very apparent; the bird breathed 
faster and faster, opened its eyes, and began to look about, with as 
much seeming vivacity as ever. After it had completely recov- 
ered, I restored it to liberty; and it flew off to the withered top 
of a pear-tree, where it sat for some time dressing its disordered 
plumage, and then shot off like a meteor.” 
About the latter part of August, or perhaps by the 8th or 
10th of September, the Humming-bird takes his departure 
for the south. The young birds travel with their parents, 
or, at any rate, leave this section with them; for I have 
invariably noticed that these little groups were together up 
to the time when they left. The parents return to the same 
breeding-place in the succeeding year; and I have known of 
a pair breeding on the same apple-tree for three successive 
seasons. 
