PHASES OF BIRD LIFE. 165 
doubt pluming himself on the fact that he is of suffi- 
cient importance to be the cause of a duel or a 
sparring-match among the ladies. 
Even those birds that seem to be the impersona- 
tion of kindiiness often engage in vigorous wrangles 
before they are able to settle the troubles that arise 
from match-making. The bluebird, of the siren 
voice and cerulean hue, is a case in point. Mr. Bur- 
roughs describes, in his inimitable way, the vigorous 
campaign of two pairs of bluebirds, which could not 
decide the subject of matrimony among themselves 
without resort to arms. Both the males and females 
engaged in more than one set-to. Once the hot- 
headed lovers closed with each other in the air, fell 
to the ploughed ground, and remained there, tugging 
and pecking and tweaking for nearly two minutes. 
Yet, when they separated, neither seemed to be any 
the worse for the méHe. 
The tiny hummers are extremely belligerent birds. 
A writer describes the contests of certain humming- 
birds in the island of Jamaica when moved by 
jealousy. When two males have become rivals, they 
will level their long, pointed bills at each other, and 
then dash together with the swiftness of an arrow; 
they meet, separate, meet again, with shrill chirping, 
dart upward, then downward, and circle around and 
around, until the eye grows weary of watching them, 
and can no longer follow their rapid transits. At 
length one falls, exhausted, to the ground, while the 
other rests, panting and trembling, on a leafy spray, 
or perhaps tumbles, mortally wounded, to the earth. 
