MY HUMMING BIRDS. 109 



were on our way, with many misgivings, to visit our treas- 

 ures. 



I climbed the tree, and to my infinite astonishment, two 

 birds entirely filled the nest, and in such full size and per- 

 fect plumage that I thought I must have come too late, and 

 that these were the old ones. They looked at me as boldly as I 

 have seen young eagles look unflinchingly, on the intruder 

 into their eyrie. I determined to attempt the capture, at 

 any rate, and reached my hand towards them with a gradual 

 and almost imperceptible movement. They watched its ap- 

 proach with no sign of fear, and when I had approached it 

 within an inch one of them boldly pecked at it, as it de- 

 scended, gently covering them as they sat. I shouted for 



joy- 



" I have them ! I have them !" and then such dancing 

 and clapping of hands as there was below. 



" Hurry ! hurry, brother ! I want to see them. I want 

 to see ! I want to see 1" 



For a wonder, I got down without breaking my neck. 

 I had, with slight violence, taken the nest, with the birds, 

 from the limb entire. They made not the slightest effort 

 to escape, nor did they seem in the least frightened. "We 

 hurried away, lest we should witness the sufferings of the 

 bereaved pair, whom we had thus ruthlessly robbed of home 

 and young. 



The first thing on reaching the house, with our captives, 

 was to try our nectar, of the home-made manufacture, upon 

 the young strangers, who instantly paid us the compliment 

 of recognizing its merits in a hearty draught, which seemed 

 to set them perfectly at ease with the world and with them- 

 selves. They now left the nest, and perched upon our fin- 

 gers with the most lovely confidence, and we saw that they 

 were actually full plumed though I doubt if they had yet 

 attempted to use their wings abroad. They seemed to take 

 the sudden change in their surroundings with a most con- 

 summate people-of-the- world sort of air just as if they had 



