92 AUDUBON THE NATURALIST. 



liclien, so neatly arranged on the branches of 

 the trees, as to seem a portion of the stem to 

 which it is fixed. The next coating is of a cot- 

 ton substance, and the innermost of the silky 

 pods of various plants, extremely soft and com- 

 fortable. No sooner are the young able to pro- 

 vide for themselves, than they associate with 

 other broods, and perform their migrations apart 

 from the old birds. Enterprising as travellers, 

 they are possessed of singular hardihood, as well 

 as marvellous beauty, visiting dreary and inclem- 

 ent regions, such as Patagonia and Canada. 

 Twenty or thirty young ones may be seen sport- 

 ing amidst a group of flowers, and not a single 

 old one to be found. They receive a portion of 

 sustenance from most plants, but are especially 

 fond of the sweet trumpet flower and honey- 

 suckle. They sip the nectar, in order to allay 

 their thirst, making their meals of more substan- 

 tial nourishment. As the humming bird does 

 not shun mankind like the more timid of the 

 feathered tribes, it is often imprisoned and sup- 

 plied with artificial flowers, in the corollas of 

 which honey, with water, or dissolved sugar is 

 placed. On this diet, however, it seldom lives 

 many months, owing probably to the absence of 

 its general food — the minute insects found in or 

 among living flowers. 

 Eivalling these in splendour are the cinnyris or 



