HUMMINGS IN THE AIR. 369 



ceased. The observance of local facts, though un- 

 important in themselves, may at times elucidate 

 perplexities, or strengthen conclusions. 



That purely rural, little noticed, and indeed 

 local occurrence, called by the country people 

 " hummings in the air," is annually to be heard in 

 one or two fields near my dwelling. About the 

 middle of the day, perhaps from twelve o'clock till 

 two, on a few calm, sultry days, in July, we occa- 

 sionally hear, when in particular places, the hum- 

 ming of apparently a large swarm of bees. It is 

 generally in some spacious, open spot, that this 

 murmuring first arrests our attention. As we 

 move onward the sound becomes fainter, and by 

 degrees is no longer audible. That this sound 

 proceeds from a collection of bees, or some such 

 insects, high in the air, there can be no doubt ; 

 yet the musicians are invisible. At these times a 

 solitary insect or so may be observed here and 

 there, occupied in its usual employ, but this crea- 

 ture takes no part in our aerial orchestra. We 

 investigators, who endeavour to find a reason and 

 a cause for all things, are a little puzzled some- 

 times in our pursuits, like other people ; and, per- 

 haps, would have but little success in attempting 

 an elucidation of this occurrence, which, with 

 those circles in our pastures and on our lawns, 

 that produce such crops of fungi (agaricus oreades) , 

 and are called by the common name, for want of 



2 B 



