Penjyhania, Philadelphia, 21 1 



Cate/by in his Natural Hijiory of Carolina, 

 Vol. i. page 65, tab. 65. has drawn it, in 

 its natural fize, with its proper colours, 

 and added a defcription of it.* In fize it 

 is not much bigger than a large humble 

 bee, and is therefore the leaft of all birds,-f* 

 or it is much if there is a lefler fpecies in 

 the world. Its plumage is mod beautifully 

 coloured, molt of its feathers being green, 

 fome grey, and others forming a mining 

 red ring round its neck ; the tail glows 

 with fine feathers, changing from green 

 into a brafs colour. Theie birds come 

 here in fpring about the time when it be- 

 gins to grow very warm, and make their 

 nefts in fummer, but towards autumn they 

 retreat again into the more fouthern coun- 

 tries of America. They fubfift barely upon 

 the nectar, or fweet juice of flowers contained 

 in that part, which botanifts call the nec- 

 tarium, and which they fuck up with their 

 long bills. Of all the flowers, they like 

 thofe moil, which have a long tube, and I 



O 2 have 



* The fame is to be met with in Edwards's Natural Hif- 

 tory of Birds, page 38. tab. 38. F. 



f There is a much letter fpecies of humming-bird, by 

 Linn&us called Trocbilus minimus, being the leaft bird known ; 

 Sir Hans Shane's living one, weighed only twenty grains, 

 and Mr. Edwards's dry one forty-five. It is drawn in Ed- 

 nvards's birds, t. 150, in its natural fize, together with its 

 egg- F. 



