Penjyhania, Philadelphia. 2ii 



Catejby in his Natural Hijiory of Carolina, 

 Vol. I. page 65, tab. 65. has drawn it, in 

 its natural fize, with its proper colours, 

 and added a defeription of it.* In fize it 

 is not much bigger than a large humble 

 bee, and is therefore the leaft of all birds,*!- 

 or it is much if there is a lefler fpecies in 

 the world. Its plumage is moft beautifully 

 coloured, moft of its feathers being green, 

 fome grey, and others forming a fhining 

 red ring round its neck i the tail glows 

 with fine feathers, changing from green 

 into a brafs colour. Thefe birds come 

 here in fpring about the time when it be^ 

 gnis to grow very warm, and make their 

 nefts in fumnier, but towards autumn they 

 retreat again into the more fouthern coun- 

 tries of America. They fubfift barely upon 

 the nedar,or fweet juice of flowers contained 

 in that part, which botanifts call the uqc- 

 tarium, and which they fuck up with their 

 long bills. Of all the flowers, they like 

 thofe moft, which have a long tube, and I 

 O 2 have 



* The fame Is to be met with in Edwards's Natural Hif- 

 fory of Birds, page 38. tab. 38. F. 



/ f There is a much lefTer fpecies of humming-blfd, by 

 Linnaus called Trochilus minimus, being the leaft bird known j 

 Sir Hans Sloane's living one, weighed only twenty grains, 

 and Mr. Ediuardsh dry one forty-five. It is drawn In Ed- 

 •wards's birdst t. 1 50, in its natural fize, together with its 



