210 HABITS OF BIRDS. 



would receive seventy-two feeds in the day; the 

 whole amounting to five hundred and seventy-six. 

 From examination of the food, which by accident 

 now and then dropped into the riest, I judged from 

 those weighed that each feed was a quarter of a grain 

 upon an average ; so that each young one was sup- 

 plied with eighteen grains weight in a day ; and as 

 the young ones weighed about seventy-seven grains at 

 the time they began to perch, they consumed nearly 

 their weight of food in four days' time at that time. 

 This extraordinary consumption seems absolutely re- 

 quisite in animals of such rapid growth. The old birds 

 of this species weigh from eighty to ninety grains. I 

 could always perceive by the animation of the young 

 brood when the old one was coming ; probably some 

 low note indicated her approach, and in an instant 

 every mouth was open to receive the insect morsel. 

 But there appeared no regularity in the supply given 

 by the parent bird: sometimes the same was fed two 

 or three times successively ; and I generally observed 

 that the strongest got most, being able to reach far- 

 thest, the old one delivering it to the mouth nearest 

 to her*." 



It would be easy for us to extend this chapter to 

 a much greater length by similar anecdotes ; but we 

 shall only add one more respecting one of the 

 hummingbirds (Trochilidce), mentioned by M. Labat, 

 premising that we have no means of ascertaining the 

 particular species meant. It being found extremely 

 difficult, if not impossible, to breed the young hum- 

 ming birds, endeavours have been made to rear them 

 by taking advantage of the natural affection of the 

 parents for their offspring. Our author records an 

 instance of such an experiment: " I showed,'' says 

 he, " a nest of humming-birds to Father Montdidier, 

 which was placed on a shed near the house. He 

 .* Ornith, Diet, Introd. 1st ed, and p. 204, 2nd ed. 



