on feeding humming birds during seven summers. 385


boy brought to us the body of a male that had been shut into a

machine shed, where its death may have resulted from starvation.

Its weight was 33 grains. Naturalists in early days were vexed by

the same question, as is shown by a quotation given by Mr. Eidgway

in his book on humming birds. It is from Philosophical Transac¬

tions, 1693, by Nehemiah Grew, who wrote: “ I did weigh one (in

those parts) as soon as ever it was killed whose weight was the tenth

part of an ounce avoirdupois.’’ From these weights one makes the

deduction that our humming birds are accustomed to eat of sugar

twice their own weight daily. If human adults ate of sugar propor¬

tional amounts there would be required nearly 300 pounds of this

saccharine food daily for the average person.


No attempt has been made to tame the birds that came to

drink, yet one, perhaps two of them, became bold enough to drink

when a bottle was being filled ; while she thrust her bill into the

empty receptacle a spoonful of syrup was frequently held touching the

mouth of the bottle, but she did not learn to drink from the spoon.

While drinking the tongue was extended about a quarter of an inch

beyond the tip of the bill, and two or three drops were sipped before

the bill was withdrawn. Once 15 drops were taken with three

insertions of the bill, and at another time the bird drank without the

withdrawal of her bill for about the duration of a minute. At such

times the bottle was free from ants ; probably they were present

when the drinking was done with numerous sips. Often a bird pre¬

ferred to take her breakfast in courses, perching on a near-by dead

twig for a minute or two between drinks.


During two of the seasons it was thought that some of the

birds roosted on our place, appearing as they did very early, and

making a long day for feasting and fighting. In other years the

birds were seen to fly eastward at night and their morning arrivals

were not so early. One June morning a bird was ready for her

breakfast at 4 o’clock, and took her last drink at night just before

the clock struck 8. On some August days there are records of their

presence at break of day ; in one case it was 38 minutes before sun¬

rise. They usually lingered a short time after sundown, drinking

long and deeply before taking' their evening departure.


The conviction that the same birds were returning to us



