76 THESPARROWKIND. 



Thatfome may hide in warm caverns is pofTible, but that they do not 

 hide under water has been pretty veil proved, by the noted experiment 

 of Frifch, who tied feveral threads dyed in water-colours, round the legs 

 of Twallows, that uere preparing for departure : thcfe, the enfuing fum- 

 mer, brought their threads back with them, no way damaged in colour ; 

 which moft certainly they v-ould have been, if, during winter, they had 

 been fieeped in water. 



Kolbtn fays, that, at the Cape ofGood-Hope, they are feen all the 

 year j but in greateft numbers in winter. There are many kinds, as well 

 in America as elfewhere 3 in general, pretty clofely related by form and 

 manners. 



THE 



HUMMING-BIRD and its VARIETIES. 



OF all that flutter in the garden, or enliven the landfcape, the hum- 

 ming-bird is the moft delightful. Of this charming little fpecies 

 there are varieties, from the fize of a fmall wren, to that of an humble- 

 bee, fporting in the fields of America, from flower to fiower, and ex- 

 tra6ting their fweets with its little bill. They feem confined between the 

 tropics J follow the fun to the folftices, and retire with him. The Indians 

 called them rays, or hair of the fun. 



The fmalleft humming-bird is about the fize of a hazel-nut j the 

 feathers on its wings and tail are grey-black ; thofe on its body, and 

 under its wings, golden-grecnifh brown, with an inimitable red glofs ; 

 a fmall creft on its head, green at bottom, gilded at top, which fparkles 

 in the fun ; the bill is black, ftraight, flendcr, like a fine needle. Found 

 in Brafil and the Windward Iflands. The larger humming-bird is near 

 half as big as the common wren, and without a creft -, is covered from 

 the throat, half way down the belly, with crimfon-colourcd feathers, that, 

 in different lights, exhibit a variety of beautiful colours j head fmall, 

 with very little round eyes, as black as jet j legs and feet very fmali, 

 often black j ten feathers in the tail. 



There arc upwards of twenty kinds of humming-b*irds, befide the 



CoLiBRis, which differ only in having the bill a little curvated, and 



bending 



