EARLY USE OF WINGS. 87 



the nest without previous practice, and flew as 

 swiftly and vigorously as the parent. Mr. 

 Gosse, speaking of a Humming-bird which he 

 reared, says, " "When nearly full grown, it 

 would rear itself up, touching the nest only with its 

 feet, on tiptoe as it were, and vibrate its wings 

 as if hovering in flight, for minutes together ; at 

 length it fairly took its flight out of the win- 

 dow." In the case of gallinaceous birds, whose 

 main progressive power is in the legs, we 

 find a parallel ; the chick of the common fowl, 

 the Pheasant, or Partridge, shortly after exclu- 

 sion from the egg, finds the use of its limbs, and 

 runs about with celerity. Here feathers (as in 

 the case of wings) are not needed; still the 

 parallel holds good, for the wings being the 

 great organs of progression in the Humming- 

 birds, they are brought into action as soon as 

 developed, their development being connected 

 with the growth of the feathers. The leg of the 

 Partridge gains strength within a few hours 

 after exclusion from the shell; and in each 

 instance, according to the nature of the bird, 

 the organ of progression first developed is that 

 which is first brought into exercise. Between 

 the birds which trust principally to the wing, 

 and those that trust principally to the feet, 

 there are multitudinous grades and modifi- 

 cations. 



The possibility of keeping Humming-birds in 

 confinement, and the possibility of bringing 



