150 Twelve Months With 



aerial life scarcely touches the turf an instant. Always 

 in the air, flying from flower to flower, it has their 

 freshness as well as their brightness. It lives upon 

 their nectar, and dwells only in the climates where 

 they perennially bloom." 



As we have elsewhere observed, this little bird 

 is singularly unafraid of man, and when feeding 

 seems entirely to ignore his presence. One cool 

 day in late August I had gone out on the lawn 

 and seated myself in the sun, to read. At my feet 

 some vines climbed over a pergola, among them 

 a scarlet runner, whose blossoms hung around my 

 book, not more than six inches from my knees. 

 Suddenly a ruby-throat flashed out of the blue 

 and hung in the air before one of the scarlet blos- 

 soms, thrust his slender bill far into the calyx and 

 daintily sipped its nectar. He then darted to other 

 flowers in rapid succession, as tho' he were fear- 

 ful some one would rob him of his treasure. He 

 was so near me I could have reached him with 

 my hand, but he appeared no more concerned 

 about me than if I had been a part of the natural 

 scene about him. While draining the honey from 

 one of the tiny flowers he suddenly discovered 

 that he was suspended immediately above a small 

 twig of the vine, and as suddenly dropped his little 

 feet upon it and perched there until he had robbed 

 the little cup of its sweets, when he darted away 

 and was lost to view, leaving me wondering 

 whether this was the visit of a real bird or some 



