108 



CAROLINA TITMOUSE— RUBY-THROATED HUMMING BIRD. 



day among furze of brake, or sitting in their own peculiar manner 

 on a branch ; but if inactive amidst the clearer light, they are all 

 energy and action when their own day has arrived." 



Toward the close of April the Night-Hawk arives in the Middle 

 States, and early in May they are first seen near the sea-coast of 

 Massachusetts, which at all times appears to be a favorite resort. 

 In the interior of the continent they penetrate as far as the sources 

 of the Mississippi, the Rocky Mountains, and the territory of Ore- 

 gon ; they are likewise observed around the dreary coasts of Hud- 

 son's Bay, and the remotest Arctic islands, breeding in the whole 

 intermediate region, to the more temperate and elevated parts of 

 Georgia. 



They are now commonly seen toward evening, in pairs, sailing 

 round in sweeping circles, high in the air, occasionally descending 

 lower to capture flying insects, chiefly of the larger kind, such as 

 wasps, beetles, and moths. About the middle of May, or later, 

 the female selects some open spot in the woods, the corner of a 

 corn-field, or dry, gravelly knoll, on which to deposit her eggs, 

 which are only two, and committed to the bare ground, where, 

 however, from the similarity of their tint with the soil, they are, in 

 fact, more secure from observation than if placed in a nest. They 

 are nearly oval, of a muddy bluish-white, marked all over with 

 touches of an umber color. Here the male and his mate reside 

 during the period of incubation, roosting at a distance from each 

 other on the ground, or in the neighboring trees; and, in conse- 

 quence of the particular formation of their feet, like the rest of the 

 genus, they roost or sit lengthwise on the branch. During the pro- 

 gress of incubation, the female is seen frequently, for some hours 

 before nightfall, playing about in the air over the favorite spot, 

 mounting in wide circles, occasionally propelled by alternate quick 

 and slow vibrations of the wings, until, at times, he nearly ascends 

 beyond the reach of sight, and is only known by his sharp and 

 sudden squeak, which greatly resembles the flying shriek of the 

 towering Swift. At other times, he is seen suddenly to precipitate 

 himself downward for sixty or eighty feet, and wheeling up again 

 as rapidly ; at which instant a hollow whirr, like the rapid turning 

 of a spinning-wheel, or a strong blowing into the bung-hole of an 

 empty hogshead, is heard, and supposed to be produced by the 

 action of the air on the wings or in the open mouth of the bird. 

 He then again mounts as before, playing about in his ascent, and 

 giving out his harsh squeak till, in a few moments, the hovering 

 is renewed as before ; and at this occupation, the male solely con- 

 tinues till the close of twilight. The female, if disturbed while 

 sitting on her charge, will suffer the spectator to advance within a 

 foot or two of her, before she leaves the nest ; she then tumbles 

 about and flutters with an appearance of lameness, to draw off the 

 observer, when, at length, she mounts into the air and disappears. 

 On other occasions, the parent, probably the attending male, puffs 

 himself up, as it were, into a ball of feathers, at the same time 

 striking his wings on the ground, and opening his capacious mouth 

 to its full extent, he stares wildly, and utters a blowing hiss, like 

 that of the Barn Owl when surprised in his hole. On observing 

 this grotesque maneuver, and this appearance, so unlike that of a 

 volatile bird, we are struck with the propriety of the metaphorical 

 French name of "Crafaud volans" or Flying Toad, which it, 

 indeed, much resembles while thus shapelessly tumbling before the 

 astonished spectator. The same feint is also made when they are 

 wounded, on being approached. Like some of the other species, 

 instinctively vigilant for the safety of their misshapen and tender 

 brood, they also, probably, convey them, or the eggs, from the 

 scrutiny of the meddling observer. In our climate, they have no 

 more than a single brood. 



Sometimes the Night-hawk, before his departure, is seen to visit 

 the towns and cities, sailing in circles, and uttering his squeak as 

 he flies high and securely over the busy streets, occasionally sweep- 

 ing down, as usual, with his whirring notes ; and at times he may 

 be observed even on the tops of chimneys, uttering his harsh call. 

 In gloomy weather they are abroad nearly the whole day, but are 



most commonly in motion an hour or two before dusk. Sometimes, 

 indeed, they are seen out in the brightest and hottest weather, and 

 occasionally, while basking in the sun, find means to give chase to 

 the cicindeli) carabi, and other entirely diurnal insects, as well as 

 grasshoppers, with which they often gorge themselves in a surpris- 

 ing manner ; but they probably seldom feed more than an hour or 

 two in the course of the day. About the middle of August they 

 begin their migrations toward the South, on which occasion they 

 may be seen in the evening moving in scattered flocks, consisting of 

 several hundreds together, and darting after insects or feeding lei- 

 surely as they advance toward more congenial climes. — (NutlalL) 



Carolina Titmouse. (Parus carolinensis^) 



Fig. 5- 



The Carolina Titmouse is a constant inhabitant of the Southern 

 States of North America, extending from the lower parts of Lou- 

 isiana, through the Floridas as far as the borders of the Roanoke 

 river, reaching eastward as far as the State of New Jersey. In 

 general, it is found only in the immediate vicinity of ponds and 

 deep marshy and moist swamps ; it is rarely seen during the win- 

 ter in greater numbers than one pair together, and frequently 

 singly ; whereas the Black-cap Titmouse, which this species much 

 resembles, moves in flocks during the whole winter, frequenting 

 orchards, gardens, or the hedges and trees along the roads, enter- 

 ing the villages and coming to the wood-piles of the farmers ; 

 whereas the southern species is never met with in such places at 

 any time of the year, and is at all seasons a shyer bird. The Car- 

 olina Titmouse breeds in the holes abandoned by the Brown-headed 

 Nuthatch. It is composed of fine wool, cotton, and some fibers of 

 plants, the whole fitted together so as to be of a uniform thickness 

 throughout, and contains four white eggs. 



Ruby-throated Humming Bird. (TrocMlus colubris.) 



Fig. 6. 



The length of the body of this species is three inches and a half, 

 and the breadth four inches and a quarter. It is found in all the 

 eastern portions of the United States, and is abundant in summer. 

 It is met with in the gardens hovering above flowers, upon the 

 sweets of which, and insects, it feeds. It is pre-eminently migra- 

 tory in its habits, a great portion of its life being spent in passing 

 from North to South, and vice versa. 



" The Ruby-throated Humming Bird," says Wilson, " makes 

 its first appearance in Georgia, from the South, about the 23d of 

 March. As it passes on to the northward, as far as the interior of 

 Canada, where it is seen in great numbers, the wonder is excited 

 how so feebly- constructed and delicate a little creature can make 

 its way over such extensive regions of lakes and forests among so 

 many enemies, all its superiors in strength and size; but its very 

 minuteness, the rapidity of its flight, which almost eludes the eye, 

 and its admirable instinct or reason are its guides and protectors. 

 About the 25th of April it usually arrives in Pennsylvania, and 

 about the nth of May begins to build its nest. This is generally 

 fixed on the upper side of some horizontal branch, not among the 

 twigs, but where it is attached by the side to an old moss-grown 

 trunk ; others may be found fastened on a strong, rank stalk or 

 weed in the gardens, but these cases are rare. The next, which 

 is usually placed on a branch some ten feet from the ground, is 

 about one inch in diameter, and as much in depth, and the outer 

 coat of one now lying before me is formed of a small species of 

 bluish-grey lichen, thickly glued on with the saliva of the bird, 

 giving firmness and consistency to the whole, as well as keeping 

 out moisture; within this are thickly-matted layers of the fine 

 wings of certain flying seeds, closely laid together : and lastly the 

 downy substance from the great mullein and from the stalks of the 



