288 VERTEBRATA. AVES. 



in the centre. From the edges of these tiles to 

 the branches of the trees in the garden, the spiders 

 had spread their innumerable webs so closely and 

 compactly, that they resembled a net. I have fre- 

 quently watched, with much amusement, the cauti- 

 ous peregrinations of the Humming-bird, who, ad- 

 vancing beneath the web, entered the various laby- 

 rinths and cells in search of entangled flies; but 

 as the larger spiders did not tamely surrender their 

 booty, the invader was often compelled to retreat. 

 Being within a few feet, I could observe all their 

 evolutions with great precision. The active little 

 bird generally passed once or twice round the court, 

 as if to reconnoitre his ground, and commenced his 

 attack by going carefully under the nets of the wily 

 insect, and seizing by surprise the smallest entangled 

 flies, or those that were most feeble. In ascending 

 the angular traps of the spider great care and skill 

 were required ; sometimes he had scarcely room for 

 his little wings to perform their office, and the least 

 deviation would have entangled him in the complex 

 machinery of the web, and involved him in ruin. 

 It was only the works of the smallest spider that 

 he durst attack, as the largest rose to the defence 

 of their citadels, when the besieger would shoot off 

 like a sunbeam, and could only be traced by the 

 luminous glow of his refulgent colours. The bird 

 generally spent about ten minutes in this predatory 

 excursion, and then alighted on the branch of an 

 avocata to rest and refresh himself, placing his crim- 

 son star-like breast to the sun, which then presented 



