NIDIFI CATION. 77 



with the air. Bound the projections and groins 

 of the front the roots of the trees above have en- 

 twined, and to a fibre of one of these, hanging 

 down, not thicker than a whipcord, was suspend- 

 ed a Humming-bird's nest, containing two eggs. 

 It seemed to be composed wholly of moss, was 

 thick, and attached to the rootlet by its side. 

 One of the eggs was broken. I did not disturb 

 it, but after three weeks visited it again. It had 

 apparently been handled by some curious child, 

 for both eggs were broken, and the nest evi- 

 dently deserted." Another nest close to the one 

 deserted was, however, in progress, and the 

 writer goes on to say, " "While I lingered in this 

 romantic place, picking up some of the land- 

 shells which were scattered among the rocks, 

 suddenly I heard the whirr of a Humming-bird, 

 and looking up saw a female Polytmus hovering 

 opposite the nest with a mass of silk-cotton in 

 her beak. Deterred by the sight of me, she pre- 

 sently retired to a twig a few paces distant, on 

 which she sat. I immediately sank down among 

 the rocks as gently as possible, and remained 

 perfectly still. In a few seconds she came again, 

 and after hovering a moment disappeared behind 

 one of the projections, whence in a few seconds 

 she emerged again, and flew off". I then exa- 

 mined the place, and found, to my delight, a new 

 nest in all respects like the old one, but un- 

 finished, affixed to another twig not a yard from 

 it. I again sat down among the stones in front, 



