THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD. 115 



duced to its cage. Numbers of people visited it from motives of 

 curiosity ; and I took every precaution to preserve it, if possible, 

 through the winter. Unfortunately, however, by some means it 

 got at large; and, flying about the room, so injured itself that it 

 soon after died. 



" This little bird is extremely susceptible of cold ; and, if long 

 deprived of the animating influence of the sunbeams, droops, and 

 soon dies. A very beautiful male was brought me this season 

 (1809), which I put into a wire cage, and placed in a retired, 

 shaded part of the room. After fluttering about for some time, the 

 weather being uncommonly cool, it clung by the wires, and hung in 

 a seemingly torpid state for a whole forenoon. No motion what- 

 ever of the lungs could be perceived, on the closest inspection, 

 though, at other times, this is remarkably observable ; the eyes 

 were shut ; and, when touched by the finger, it gave no signs 

 of life or motion. I carried it out to the open air, and placed it 

 directly in the rays of the sun, in a sheltered situation. In a few 

 seconds, respiration became very apparent ; the bird breathed 

 faster and faster, opened its eyes, and began to look about, with as 

 much seeming vivacity as ever. After it had completely recov- 

 ered, I restored it to liberty ; and it flew off to the withered top 

 of a pear-tree, where it sat for some time dressing its disordered 

 plumage, and then shot off like a meteor." 



About the latter part of August, or perhaps by the 8th or 

 10th of September, the Humming-bird takes his departure 

 for the south. The young birds travel with their parents, 

 or, at any rate, leave this section with them; for I have 

 invariably noticed that these little groups were together up 

 to the time when they left. The parents return to the same 

 breeding-place in the succeeding year; and I have known of 

 a pair breeding on the same apple-tree for three successive 

 seasons. 



