HUMMING-BIRDS. 573 



small herbs, and spider-webs. The last-mentioned substance is 

 employed for the purpose of binding the materials together, and 

 is used also in fastening the nest to the support on which it hangs. 



There is another species of this beautiful group, called the 

 Euby-throated Humming-bird {Trochilus colubris), which is gen- 

 erally accepted as the typical species. This lovely bird is plenti- 

 ful in many parts of America, and is sometimes seen as far north 

 as Canada. It derives its popular name from the feathers of the 

 throat, which glitter as if made of burnished metal, and glow with 

 alternate tints of ruby and orange. The general color of the body 

 is green, and the wings are purple-brown. The two sexes are 

 colored after the same manner, with the exception of the ruby 

 gorget, which only belongs to the male, and which is not attained 

 until the second year. There is no species more common in mu- 

 seums and ornamental cases than this, because it is as plentiful as 

 it is lovely. That it should be plentiful, or indeed that any spe- 

 cies of Humming-bird should be any thing but scarce, is matter 

 of wonder, inasmuch as they never lay more than two eggs, and, 

 in all probability, do not rear more than three, or perhaps four 

 young in the course of a season. 



The general habits of this tiny bird are well worthy of notice, 

 but at present we must content ourselves with it as it appears in 

 its nest-making capacity. Being a very small bird, only three 

 inches and a half in total length, and very slenderly made, the 

 nest is necessarily small. But, although we so often find that 

 little birds build large nests, we can not but notice that the nest 

 of this Humming-bird is even smaller than the size of its occu- 

 pant seems to require. It is round, neatly made, and has thick 

 walls and a small hollow. 



The bird has a wonderful power of concealing the nest, which 

 can not be discovered except by a practiced nest-hunter, so close- 

 ly does it resemble a knob upon a branch. So careful, too, is the 

 female of her home that she does not fly straight to it, but rises 

 high in the air, and then darts down among the branches with 

 such rapidity that the eye can not follow her movements, and she 

 is fairly seated in her nest before the spectator knows exactly in 

 which direction she has gone. 



This curious trait seems to have been discovered by Mr. C. W. 

 Webber. He had successfully tamed some Buby-throats, and 

 determined to find a nest, so that he might obtain the young. 



