THE HUMMING BIRD. 



Maternal affection and familiarity. 



grees they are covered with down, and at last, 

 feathers succeed, but less beautiful tit first than 

 those of the old ones. 



" Father Labat's companion, in the mission to 

 America, found the nest of an humming bird, in 

 a shed that was near the dwelling-house, and 

 took it in at a time when the young ones were 

 about fifteen or twenty days old ; he then placed 

 them in a cage at his chamber window, to be 

 amused by their sportive flutterings ; but he was 

 soon surprised to see the old ones, that came and 

 fed their brood regularly every hour in the day. 

 By these means they themselves soon grew so 

 tame, that they seldom quitted the chamber; 

 but, without any constraint, came to live with 

 their young ones. All four have frequently come 

 to perch upon their master's hand, chirruping as 

 if they had been at liberty abroad. He fed them, 

 with a very fine clear paste, made of wine, bis- 

 cuit, and sugar ; they thrust their tongues into 

 this paste, till they were satisfied, and then flut- 

 tered and chirruped about the room. ' I never 

 beheld any thing more agreeable,' continues he, 

 ' than this lovely little family that had taken pos- 

 session of my companion's chamber, and that 

 flew out and in just as they thought proper; but 

 were ever attentive to the voice of their master 

 when he called them.' [n this manner they lived 

 with him for six months; but at a time when he 

 expected to see a new colony formed; he unfor- 

 tunately forgot to tie upj.heir cage to the ceiling 



