Penjyhania, Philadelphia* 213 



flutter continually like bees, bend their 

 feet backwards, and move their wings fo 

 quick, that they are hardly vifible. During 

 this fluttering they make a humming like 

 bees, or like that which is occafioned by 

 the turning of a little wheel. After they 

 have thus, without retting, fluttered for a 

 while, they fly to a neighbouring tree or 

 poft, and refume their vigour again. They 

 then return to their humming and fucking. 

 They are not very fhy, and I in company 

 with feveral other people, have not been 

 full two yards from the place where they 

 fluttered about and fucked the flowers -, and 

 though we fpoke and moved, yet they were 

 no ways difturbed ; but on going towards 

 them, they would fly off with the fwiftnefs 

 of an arrow. When feveral of them were 

 on the fame bed, there was always a vio- 

 lent combat between them, in meeting 

 each other at the fame flower (for envy was 

 likewife predominant amongfl thefe little 

 creatures) and they attacked with fuch im- 

 petuofity, that it would feem as if the 

 ftrongefl would pierce its antagonift. through 

 and through, with its long bill. During 

 the fight, they feem to fland in the air, 

 keeping themfelves up, by the incredibly 

 fwift motion- of their wings. When the 

 windows towards the garden are open, they 



O 3 purfue 



