Humraivg-Birds. 149' 



The monotony of this uniform green and grey colour is 

 relieved now and then by trees of a lighter green with yellow 

 drooping flowers and grape-like pink fruits, and beautillil 

 coloured butterflies and birds, amongst them the gem of the 

 winged tribe, the sweet humming-bird. 



It occurs also in North America, and even as far north as 

 New York. I never had, however, a better opportunity of 

 observing and admiring this graceful little creature than in 

 Washington. There stands in the Capitol garden, close to one 

 of the principal walks, a red-blooming, peculiar kind of chest- 

 nut tree, v»^hich has quite a reputation amongst ornithologists, 

 and I heard that a celebrated English naturalist declared this 

 tree alone to be worth a voyage to America. 



The juice of the red chestnut flower must have a peculiar 

 sweetness and attraction, for when the tree is in blossom 

 humming-birds are swarming around it like bees. Sitting on 

 a bench opposite that tree 1 have observed them for hours. 

 When drinking the nectar from a flower with their long tongue, 

 they behave just in the same manner as those butterflies or 

 moths do which are to be seen in summer evenings before 

 some flower as if fixed in the air. The movement of the little 

 wings is so quick that they cannot be seen, and one wonders 

 how that little sparkling body is thus suspended in the air. 

 Having robbed the flower of its sweetness, they whisk away 

 like lightning to kiss another. I like them best when they are 

 resting on a branch smoothing their little feathers. They are 

 so tame and so little afraid of man tliat it would be very easy 

 to catch them with a butterfly-net, which I fortunately never 

 saw in all America, for young gentlemen there of ten or twelve 

 years have more serious occupations than catching butterflies 1 

 They commence already to flirt and learn to chew tobacco. 

 The negro boys sometimes entrap the poor humming-birds 

 when they venture into the deep calix of some large flower, by 

 stealing near and closing the entrance with their hands. I 

 shall not describe now all the fine pjlaces near Mexico, but do 

 so occasionally. 



The interior of Mexican houses is more agreeable and 

 pleasing than the exterior. A staircase leads to an open 

 gallery surrounding the yard. It is ornamented with flowers, 

 and the floor is covered with mats and provided with benches. 

 From this gallery the rooms are entered. The parlours in the 



