Queer Homes- 



By C. A. Lloyds 



[0 Naturalists, the homes of the various species 

 of humming-birds are perhaps the most in- 

 teresting, but as my obje6l here is only to 

 refer to nests of peculiar shape, or those placed in unusual 

 situations, my notice of these pretty little stru6lures 

 must necessarily be brief. 



In all the humming-bird's nests I have examined, I have 

 never found more than two tiny white eggs, and I believe 

 this number to be the rule with the whole family of 

 humming-birds, or Trochilidse. I once saw one of these 

 nests in a very strange situation ; it was attached to a 

 slender wisp of thatch which projedted from the eaves of 

 a shed, under which the Indians were in the habit of 

 drying their meat. Although the smoke from the 

 barbicue was often annoying to the Indians themselves, 

 the little humming bird sat unconcernedly on h^r nest, 

 until the eggs were hatched and her tiny brood hi.d been 

 reared in safety. The nest was corr posed of 'he iiz.- 

 thery appendages o.; various seeds, ai'd was covered on 

 the f utside ;ith snr.all bits of leaves and scraw, which 

 from a short distance rendered it indistinguishable from 

 the t. a<^ch on the shed. 



Bi: ds very of^'-^-n make use of strange naterials in 

 build ng the'r nests. Hen: is an example: A fxa' 

 hnch {Oryziborus p.) was noticed o' «=" ^ay making frr 

 quen ; visits tj rubbish hjap, where a quantity of th ; 

 colo ired paper tound in tins of " Captain" biscuits haa 



