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butterflies in a summer's day, sporting in the fields 

 of America, from flower to flower. 



The smallest is about the size of a hazle-nut. The 

 feathers on its wings and tail are black ; but those 

 on its body, and under its wings, are of a greenish 

 brown, with a fine red cast or gloss, which no silk or 

 velvet can imitate. It has a small crest on its head, 

 green at the bottom, and as it were gilded at the top, 

 and which sparkles in the sun like a little star in the 

 middle of its forehead. The bill is black, straight, 

 slender, and of the length of a small pin. 



As soon as the sun is risen, the humming-birds, 

 of different kinds, are seen fluttering about the flow- 

 ers, without ever lighting upon them. Their wings 

 are in such rapid motion that it is impossible to dis- 

 cern their colours, except by their guttering. They 

 are never still, but continually in motion, visiting 

 flower after flower : they are furnished with a forky 

 tongue, that enters the cup of the flower, and extracts 

 its nectared tribute. Upon this alone they subsist. The 

 rapid motion of their wings bring out an humming 

 sound from whence they have their names. 



The nests of these birds are not less curious than 

 the rest : they are suspended in the air, at the points 

 of twigs of an orange, a promegranate, or a citron- 

 tree. The female is the architect, while the male 

 goes in quest of materials, such as cotton, fine moss, 

 and the fibres of vegetables. Of these materials a 

 nest is composed, of about the size of a hen's egsj 

 cut in two, admirably contrived, and \varmly lined 

 with cotton. They lay two eggs at a time, ahout the 

 size of small peas, and as white as snow, with here 

 and there a yellow speck. The male and female sit 

 tipon the nest by turns ; but the female takes to her- 

 5elf the greatest share. She seldom quits the nest, ex- 

 cept a few minutes in the morning and evening when 

 the dew is upon the flowers. The time of incubation 

 continues twelve days ; at the end of which the 

 young ones aupear ; much about the size of a blue- 

 bottle fly. 



