?66 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Contentions Nests Eggs. 



them swarming around the flowers, and trying 

 every tube by putting in their bills. If they find 

 that their brethren have anticipated them, and 

 robbed the flower of its honey, they will, in a 

 rage, (if possible,) pluck it off, and throw it on 

 the ground ; sometimes they tear it in pieces. 



These little creatures are at times animated 

 with the most violent passions. They have often 

 dreadful contests, when numbers happen to dis- 

 pute the possession of the same flower. They 

 will tilt against one another with such fury, as if 

 they meant to transfix their antagonists with 

 their long bills. During the fight, they fre- 

 quently pursue the conquered into the apart- 

 ments of those houses whose windows are left 

 open ; take a turn round the room, as flies do in 

 England ; and then suddenly regain the open air. 

 They are fearless of mankind ; and in feeding, 

 will suffer persons to come within two yards of 

 them; but, on a nearer approach, they dart away 

 with wonderful swiftness. Mr. St. John says, 

 that their contentions often last till one or other 

 of the combatants is destroyed. 



The red-throated humming bird most fre- 

 quently builds on the middle of a branch of a 

 tree : they are often known to take up with some 

 low bush, or even a tobacco-stalk : the nests have 

 also been seen fixed to the side of a pod of ocra; 

 they are so small, that they cannot be seen by a 

 person who stands on the ground. Both nests 

 and eggs are like those of the common humming 

 birds. 



