168 HABITS OF BIRDS. 



nest, I judged from those weighed that each feed 

 was a quarter of a grain upon an average ; so that 

 each young one was supplied with eighteen grains 

 weight in a day ; and as the young ones weighed 

 about seventy-seven grains at the time they began 

 to perch, they consumed nearly their weight of food 

 in four days' time at that time. This extraordinary 

 consumption seems absolutely requisite in animals 

 of such rapid growth. The old birds of this species 

 weigh from eighty to ninety grains. I could always 

 perceive, by the animation of the young brood, when 

 the old one was coming ; probably some low note 

 indicated her approach, and in an instant every 

 mouth was open to receive the insect morsel. But 

 there appeared no regularity in the supply given by 

 the parent bird ; sometimes the same was fed two 

 or three times successively, and I generally ob- 

 served that the strongest got most, being able to 

 reach farthest, the old one delivering it to the 

 mouth nearest to her." 



It would be easy for us to extend this chapter to 

 a much greater length by similar anecdotes, but 

 we shall only add one more respecting one of the 

 humming-birds (Trochilida), mentioned by M. La- 

 bat, premising that we have no means of ascertain- 

 ing the particular species meant. It being found 

 extremely difficult, if not impossible, to breed the 

 young humming-birds, endeavours have been made 

 to rear them by taking advantage of the natural 

 affection of the parents for their offspring. Our 

 author records an instance of such an experiment : 

 " I showed," says he, " a nest of humming-birds to 

 Father Montdidier, which was placed on a shed 

 near the house. He carried it off with the young, 

 when they were about fifteen or twenty days old, 

 and put them in a cage at his room window, where 

 the cock and hen continued to feed them, and grew 

 so tame that they scarcely ever left the room ; and 

 though not shut in the cage, nor subjected to any 



