300 HISTORY OF 



of singing. All travellers agree, that, beside the humming 

 noise produced by their wings, they have a little interrupted 

 chirrup; but Labat asserts, that they have a most pleasing nie- 

 lancholy melody in their voices, though small, and proportioned 

 to the organs which produce it. It is very probable that, in 

 different places, their notes are also different ; and as there are 

 some that continue torpid all the winter, there may likewise be 

 some with agreeable voices, though the rest may in general be 

 silent. 



The Indians formerly made gi-eat use of this bird's plumage, 

 m adorning their belts and head-dress. The children take them 

 in the fields upon rings smeared with bird-lime : they approach 

 the place where the birds are flying, and twirling their rings in 

 the air, to allure them, either by the colour or the sound, thiit 

 the simple little creature comes to rest upon the ring, and is 

 seized. They are then instantly killed and gutted, and hung up 

 in the chimney to dry. Those who take greater care, dry them 

 in a stove, which is not so likely to injure the plumage as the 

 foregoing method. Their beautiful feathers were once the or- 

 nament of the highest rank of savage nobility ; but at presetvt 

 they take the bird rather for the purpose of selling it as a curio- 

 sity to the Europeans, than that of ornament for themselves. 

 All the taste for .savage finery is wearir.g out fast, even among 

 the Americans. They now begin to adopt, if not the dresses of 

 Europe, at least the materials of which they are composed. I'be 

 wandering warrior is far from thinking himself fine at pres^cnt 

 with his bow and his feathered crown : his ambition reaches to 

 higher ornaments ; a gun, a blue shirt, and a blanket. 



