162 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 85 



grain of sugar to each drop the average breakfast held ten 

 grains of sugar. A better comprehension of the size of that 

 meal may be gained by remembering that two large navy 

 beans, or one medium-sized lima bean also weigh ten grains. 

 Breakfast and supper were the Ruby-throats' heaviest meals, 

 but there were many luncheons between them. By reckon- 

 ing eight to nine such meals daily, (and beyond doubt there 

 were that number), we reach again the first estimate of sev- 

 enty to ninety grains of sugar as the daily ration. About 

 this amount of sugar is held by a common tea-spoon when 

 level full ; such a spoon will hold from 110 to 120 minims 

 of water, whereas one of those heir-looms, a grandmother's 

 tea-spoon, is the measure of the standard tea-spoonful of 

 sixty minims. Referring then to the standard measure the 

 bird would be said to eat two tea-spoonfuls of sugar daily. 

 An ordinary cube of loaf sugar contains the equivalent of 

 this amount. 



Reflecting upon the bulk consumed by so small a creature 

 one naturally desires to know the weight of a Hummingbird. 

 A little 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 thirty-three grains. Nat- 

 uralists in early days were vexed by the same question as 

 is shown by a quotation given by Mr. Ridgway in his book 

 on Hummingbirds. It is from "Philosophical Transactions," 

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

 those parts) as soon as ever it was kill'd whose weight was 

 the tenth part of an Ounce Avoirdupoise." From these 

 weights one makes the deduction that our Hummingbirds 

 are accustomed to eat of sugar twice their own weight daily. 

 If human adults ate of sugar proportional amounts there 

 would be required nearly three hundred pounds of this sac- 

 charine 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 fre- 



