COUNTRY NEIGHBORS AGAIN. 183 



Even when he had taken his drink of sugar and water, 

 and seemed able to sit up in his warm little hollow, he has 

 seemed in no hurry to flee, but remained tranquilly look- 

 ing about him for some moments, till all of a sudden, 

 with one whirr, away he goes, like a flying morsel of green 

 and gold, over our heads into the air into the tree- 

 tops. What a lovely time he must have of it ! 



One rainy, windy day, Miss Jenny, going into the con- 

 servatory, heard a plaintive little squeak, and found a poor 

 humming-bird, just as we found poor little Hum, all wet 

 and chilled, and bemoaning himself, as he sat clinging 

 tightly upon the slenderest twig of a grape-vine. She 

 took him off, wrapped him in cotton, and put him in a 

 box on a warm shelf over the kitchen range. After a 

 while you may be sure there was a pretty fluttering in 

 the. box. Master Hum was awake and wanted to be at- 

 tended to. She then mixed sugar and water, and, opening 

 the box, offered him a drop on her finger, which he licked 

 off with his long tongue as knowingly as did his name- 

 sake at Rye Beach. After letting him satisfy his appetite 

 for sugar and water, as the rain was over and the sun 

 began to shine, Miss Jenny took him to the door, and 

 away he flew. 



These little incidents show that it would not ever be a 

 difficult matter to tame humming-birds, only they cannot 

 be kept in cages ; a sunny room with windows defended 



