HUMMING BIRDS. 



355 



the tree, and commencing at the tiiink, with the lowest limb 

 which leaned over the water, I followed it slowly and carefully 

 with my eye out to the extremest twig, noting carefully every- 

 thing that seemed like a knot. This produced no satisfactory 

 result after half an hour's trial, and with an aching neck I gave 

 it up in despair, for I saw half a dozen knots, either one of 

 which seemed as likely to be the right one as the other. 



* I now changed my tactics again, and, ascending the tree, 

 I stopped with my feet upon each one of those limbs and 

 looked down along it. It was a very tedious proceeding, but 

 I persevered. Knot after knot deceived me, but, at last, 

 when just above the middle of the tree, I caught a sharp 

 gleam of gold and purple among the leaves, and, looking 

 down upon tlie last limb to which I had climbed, almost lost 

 my footing for joy, as I saw, about three feet out from where 

 I stood, the gHstening back and wings of the httle bird just 

 covering the top of one of these mysterious knots that was 

 about half the size of a hen's egg. 



' The glancing head, long bill, and keen eyes were turned up- 

 wards, and perfectly still, except the latter, which surveyed me 

 from head to foot with the most dauntless expression. It seemed 

 not to have the slightest intention of moving, and I would not 

 have disturbed it for the world. It was sufficient to me to gaze 

 on my long-lost treasure. Its pure white breast — or throat rather, 

 for the breast was sunk in the nest — formed such a sweet and 

 innocent contrast with the splendour of its back, head, and 

 wings.' The capture of the little birds which were afterwards 

 hatched in that nest served to set at rest the question of the 

 Humming Bird's food. They lived mostly on syrup, but were 

 obliged to fly off and eat the tiny garden spiders as they lay in 

 the middle of their radiating webs. 



The nest of the Ruby-throated Humming Bird seems to be 

 rather variable in form and material and situation, but has 

 always a peculiar character which enables the experienced 

 observer to recognise it. According to Wilson, it is sometimes 

 fixed on the upper part of a horizontal branch, as was the case 

 with the nest so graphically described by Mr. Webber. Some- 



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