Broad-Tailed Humming Birds 



one other than that of venting a burst of ex- 

 uberant spirits. Exuberance is one of the 

 most applicable adjectives in describing these 

 winged bullets, as in their every action appears 

 an overflowing of energy and vitality. Each 

 movement is so lightning-like in quickness, and 

 the bird has such remarkable control of itself, 

 that the longer one watches, the more one 

 marvels. What other bird can fly forward or 

 backward with equal ease, or rise in a vertical 

 line as if shot upward from a gun? It starts 

 and stops so quickly that it swings forward or 

 backward as if it were a pendulum. One won- 

 ders whether any bird can fly so fast, and cer- 

 tainly none can attain momentum so quickly. 

 Hummers are very sensitive, and when 

 watched they grow agitated and fretful, leav- 

 ing the nest repeatedly. Their low peeping 

 expresses much annoyance as they dart nerv- 

 ously here and there. They will spend con- 

 siderable time inspecting a camera that is 



