24 NORTH CAROLINA 



taken a short cut by myself, and had come 

 out of the woods into the road again some 

 distance ahead of the wagon, when suddenly 

 I heard the buzz and squeak of a hummer, 

 and, glancing upward, put my eye instantly 

 upon the nest, which might have been two 

 thirds done from its appearance, and then 

 upon its owner, whose reiterated squeakings, 

 I have no doubt, expressed her annoyance 

 at my intrusion. In truth, both owners 

 were present, and in that lay the exceptional 

 interest of the story. 



Some years ago I had proved, as I 

 thought, that the male ruby-throat habitu- 

 ally takes no part in the hatching and rear- 

 ing of its young, and, for that matter, is 

 never to be seen about the nest in the five 

 or six weeks during which that most labo- 

 rious and nerve-trying work is going on. 

 As to why this should be I could only 

 confess ignorance ; and subsequent observa- 

 tions, both by myself and by others, 1 while 

 confirming the fact of the male's absence, 

 had done nothing to bring to light the rea- 

 son for it. Is the female herself responsible 



1 See especially an article by Mrs. Olive Thorne Miller 

 in The Atlantic Monthly for June, 1896. 



