THE HUMMING BIRDS. . 163 
whirr of a Humming Bird, and looking up saw a 
female Polytmus hovering opposite the nest with a 
mass of silk-cotton in her beak. Deterred by the 
sight of me, she presently retired to a twig a few 
paces distant, on which she sat. I immediately sunk 
down among the rocks as gently as possible, and re- 
mained perfectly still. In a few seconds she came 
again, and after hovering a moment disappeared be- 
hind one of the projections, whence in a few seconds 
she emerged again, and flew off. I then examined 
the place, and found to my delight a new nest in all 
respects like the old one, but unfinished, affixed to 
another twig not a yard from it. I again sat down 
among the stones in front, where I could see the nest, 
not-concealing myself, but remaining motionless, wait- 
ing for the bird’s reappearance. I had not to wait 
long: a loud whirr, and there she was, suspended in 
the air before the nest. She soon espied me, and 
came within a foot of my eyes, hovering just in front 
of my face. I remained still, however, when I heard 
the whirring of another just above me, perhaps the 
mate; but I durst not look toward him, lest the turn- 
ing of my head should frighten the female. In a 
minute or two the other was gone, and she alighted 
again on the twig, where she sat some little time 
preening her feathers, and apparently clearing her 
mouth from the cotton fibres, for she now and then 
swiftly projected the tongue an inch and a half from 
the beak, continuing the same curve as that of the 
beak. When she arose it was to perform a very in- 
