MANGO HUMMING-BIRD. 91 



the rustling of his confined wings within the 

 gauze told that the little beauty was a captive. 

 I brought him in triumph to the house and caged 

 him ; but he was very restless, clinging to the sides 

 and wires, and fluttering violently about. The next 

 morning, having gone out on an excursion for a few 

 hours, I found the poor bird on my return, dying, 

 having beaten himself to death. I never again took 

 this species alive. 



The sustenance of the Humming-birds is, I feel 

 assured, derived almost exclusively from insects. 

 That they seek the nectar of flowers I readily admit, 

 and that they will eagerly take dissolved sugar or 

 diluted honey in captivity I also know; but that 

 this would maintain life, or at least vigour, I have 

 great reasons for doubting, which I shall mention 

 in the history of the following species. I have 

 dissected numbers of each of our species, and have 

 invariably found the little stomach distended with a 

 soft black substance, exactly like what we see in the 

 stomachs of the Warblers, which being put into 

 clear water, and examined with a lens, proves to be 

 entirely composed of minute insects. The interior 

 of flowers is almost always inhabited by very small 

 insects, and it is I believe principally to pick out 

 these that the Humming-birds probe the tubular 

 nectaries of blossoms. Wilson has mentioned his 

 having observed the Ruby-throat (T. Colubris) 

 pursuing flies on the wing. I also have witnessed 

 the same thing in our species, many times. I have 

 seen the Mango, just before night fall, fluttering 

 round the top of a tree on which were no bios- 



