212 OSiober 1748. 



have obferved that they have fluttered chiefi- 

 ly about the Impatiens Noli tangere, and the 

 Monarda virith crimfon flowers. An inha- 

 bitant of the country is fure to have a num- 

 ber of thefe beautiful and agreeable little 

 birds before his v^indow all the fummer 

 long, if he takes care to plant a bed with 

 all forts of fine flowers under them. It is 

 indeed a diverting fpeftacle to fee thefe lit- 

 tle active creatures flying about the flowers 

 like bees, and fucking their juices with 

 their long and narrow bills. The flowers 

 of the above-mentioned Monarda grow ver- 

 ticillatedy that is, at difl*erent diftances they 

 fijrround the ftalk, as the flowers of our 

 mint (Mentha) baftard hemp (Galeopfts) 

 mother-wort (Leonurus) and dead nettle 

 (Lamium). It is therefore diverting to fee 

 them putting their bills into every flower 

 in the circle. As foon as they have fucked 

 the juice of one flower, they flutter to the 

 next. One that has not feen them would 

 hardly believe in how {hort a fpace of time 

 they have had their tongues in all the flow- 

 ers of a plant, which when large and with 

 a long tube, the little bird by putting its 

 head into them, looks as if it crept with 

 half its body into them. 



During their fucking the juice out of 

 the flowers they never fettle on it, but 



flutter 



