THE LONG-TAILED HUMMING-BIED. 229 



required for tlieir hatching, and the birds raise two broods in a season. In one week the 

 young are ready to fly, but are fed by the parents for nearly another week. They receive 

 their food directly from the bill of their parents, who disgorge it in the manner of canaries 

 and pigeons. It is my belief that no sooner are the young able to provide for themselves, 

 than they associate with other broods and perform their migrations apart from the old 

 birds, as I have observed twenty or thirty young Humming-birds resort to a group of 

 trumpet flowers, when not a single old male was to be seen. 



They do not receive the full brilliancy of their colours until the succeeding spring, 

 although the throat of the male bird is strongly imbued with the ruby tints before they 

 leave us in autumn." 



The reader will doubtless remember that Mr. Webber mentions the fact that one of his 

 captured Euby-throats "played 'possum" when taken, simulating death in a very perfect 

 manner. In Wilson's well-known work on the birds of America, there is an account of a 

 somewhat similar performance on the part of a captive Kuby-throat, which seemed to 

 simulate death, or^ at all events, to fall into a state of semi-torpidity from the effects 

 of cold. 



" This little bird is extremely susceptible of cold, and if long deprived of the animating 

 influence of the sunbeam, soon droops and dies. A very beautiful male was brought to 

 me this season (1809), which I put into a wire cage, and placed in a retired shaded part of 

 the room. After fluttering about for some time, the weather being uncommonly cold, it 

 clung to the wires and hung in a seemingly torpid state for a whole forenoon. The motion 

 of the lungs could not be perceived on the closest inspection, though at other times this is 

 remarkably observable : the eyes were shut, and when touched by the finger it gave no 

 signs of life or motion. I carried it out to the open air and placed it directly in the rays 

 of the sun in a sheltered situation. In a few seconds respiration became very apparent, 

 the bird breathed faster and faster, opened its eyes, and began to look about with as much 

 seeming vivacity as ever. After it had completely recovered, I restored it to liberty, and 

 it flew off to the withered top of a pear-tree, where it sat for some time dressing its 

 disordered plumage, and then shot off like a meteor." 



It has also been related that Humming-birds are so delicate of constitution, that when 

 caught in a gauze net they die at once from fear. I have no doubt but that in fact thay 

 often simulate death, and do it so well as to make their escape when their captor's atten- 

 tion is withdrawn from them. 



Anothee species belonging to this genus is well worthy of notice, on account of its 

 beauty and interesting habits. This is the long-tailed Humming-bird of Jamaica {TrocMlus 

 Polytmus), one of the species which do not migrate, but remain in one locality throughout 

 the year. A very good figure of it may be seen in the engraving on page 223. It is the 

 perched figure at the upper pai-t of the group of Humming-birds, and may be easily noted 

 by means of the two long tail-feathers that hang nearly to the bottom of the engraving. 



The upper parts of this beautiful bird are green, glossed with gold, the wings are 

 purple-brown, and the tail black, with a steel-blue reflection. The long streaming feathers 

 of the tail are the pair next to the exterior feathers, and when tlie bird is in a state of 

 repose they cross each other as is represented in the engraving. The throat, breast, and 

 whole of the lower parts are glowing emerald green, except the under tail-coverts, which 

 are purple-black. Tlie top of the head and nape of the neck are velvet black, and the 

 feathers of the head are rather long, and form a kind of loose plume. The whole length 

 of a male bird is rather more than ten inches, the long tail-feathers being between seven 

 and eight inches in length. 



The female is not possessed of the beautiful tail which distinguishes her mate ; the 

 under parts are white, covered with green spots caused by the green tips of the feathers, 

 the top of the head is dirty brown, and her entire length is little more than four inches. 

 Mr. Gosse, in his well-known " Birds of Jamaica," has given some admu-able descriptions 

 of this pretty bird and its habits. 



" It loves to frequent the margins of woods and roadsides, where it sucks the blossonis 

 of the trees, occasionally descending to the low shrubs. There is one locality where it is 

 abundant, — the summit of that range of mountains just below Bluefields, and which is 



