140 THE MALE RUBY-THROAT. 



the male hummer help the female feed the 

 young ? ' I am quite sure I should have an- 

 swered, 'Of course he does.' As the case 

 now stands, however, I am inclined to be- 

 lieve him a depraved wretch." 



Up to this point the testimony of my cor- 

 respondents had been unanimous, but the 

 unanimity was broken by Dr. C. Hart Mer- 

 riam, who remembers that on one occasion 

 his attention was called to a nest (it proved 

 to contain a set of fresh eggs) by the flying 

 of both its owners about his head ; and by 

 Mr. W. A. Jeffries, who in one case saw 

 the father bird in the vicinity of a nest oc- 

 cupied by young ones, although he did not 

 see him feed or visit them. This nest, Mr. 

 Jeffries says, was one of five which he has 

 found. In the four other instances no male 

 birds were observed, notwithstanding three 

 of the nests were taken, a tragedy which 

 might be expected to bring the father of the 

 family upon the scene, if he were anywhere 

 within call. 



In view of the foregoing evidence, it ap- 

 pears to me reasonably certain that the male 

 ruby -throat, as a rule, takes no considerable 

 part in the care of eggs and young. The 



