108 LIFE-HISTORIES OF BIRDS 



the following species : Epeira hortorum, /: . fasciata, 

 ThomisiiS fartns, 7\ celer,Theridion boreale, and 7'. :///- 

 4'v?/v, all of which were comparatively voung. 



It seems to be almost impossible to keep these birds in 

 confinement for a great length of time. The experiment 

 has been tried, but proved only partially successful, the birds 

 living but a few months. Unsuitable diet, imperfect 

 nourishment, and insufficient warmth, all combine to bring 

 about this failure. 



So susceptible to cold are these birds that we have known 

 them to retire to their winter homes as early as the loth, of 

 September. By an inexplicable circumstance, the voung do 

 not leave until some time after the parents have departed. 



But a single brood is raised in a season. The eggs are 

 two in number, elliptical, and with both extremities equally 

 obtuse. The ground color is a pure dull white. Their 

 measurement is .50 by .34 of an inch. 



The only note of the Ruby-throat appeal's to be a feeble 

 chirp, which recalls the sound produced by some species of 

 insects. 



/''an nly AlcedinidSB. Kingfishers. 



The feet of these birds are syndactyle by cohesion of the 

 third and fourth toes. Bill long, straight, sharp, and rather 

 hooked. Fissirostral gape wide and deep ; tongue rudimen- 

 tary, or quite small. Nostrils basal and reached by the 

 frontal feathers. The feet are quite small and scarcely adapt- 

 ed to walking. Tarsi short and reticulated anteriorly ; hal- 

 lux. short, flattened superiorly, having its sole more or le>s 

 continuous with that of the inner toe. The soles of the ex- 

 ternal and median toes are united for nearly one half their 

 length. The inner toe is invariably short : in one genus a 

 mere rudiment exists, while another has it entirely wanting. 

 The wings are long, and possess ten primaries; while the 

 'ail is variable, and has twelve rectrices. 



The nearest allies of these birds are thought to be the horn- 



