THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD. 113 



distance of several rods ; up they mount, rushing against 

 and striking each other with their sharp little bills, until 

 they are both lost to the sight : presently our acquaintance 

 descends to the twig where his mate is seated, and struts 

 before her with a pride much larger than his body, ap- 

 parently anxious for her approval of his courage. She 

 caresses him ; and, after he has adjusted his plumage, off 

 they shoot for other scenes and pleasures. 



About the first week in June, the Humming-bird com- 

 mences building its nest : this is composed of a soft down, 

 that is taken from the stems of some of the ferns ; it is 

 covered entirely with lichens, which are glued on with the 

 saliva of the bird, giving it the appearance of a mossy knot. 

 It is usually built on the upper side of a limb ; but I have 

 known of cases of its being built in a forked twig. The 

 whole fabric is about an inch and a half in diameter, and 

 about that in depth externally ; it is hollowed about half an 

 inch, and is three-fourths of an inch in diameter internally ; 

 it is lined with soft, downy substances detached from flying 

 seeds. The eggs are two in number, white, and nearly 

 elliptical in shape, being of about equal size at both ends. 

 Length of eggs, about .45 inch ; breadth, about .31 inch. I 

 am inclined to think, that, in the latitude of New England, 

 this bird raises only one brood in the season ; but further 

 south it undoubtedly rears two. The period of incubation 

 is ten days. 



On approaching the nest, the parent bird immediatel}' 

 flies at the intruder ; and it was by this means that I have 

 been enabled to find specimens of the nests, when I could 

 not possibly have done so if their locality had not been 

 betrayed by the bird herself. I have heard of young birds 

 being taken from the nest when nearly fledged, kept for 

 several weeks, and fed with nothing but sweetened water ; 

 but they always died after a short confinement, and I believe 

 that it is impossible to keep this bird as a pet, from the 

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