HUMMING-BIRDS. 5 



delicate structure, compactly built of soft materials felted to- 

 gether ; its outside is generally adorned with lichens or dead 

 leaves in such a manner as to tend to its concealment. The 

 male is said to work at this decoration often after the female has 

 commenced to sit. As a rule the male is the most brilliantly 

 coloured, but in some instances the female is also adorned with 

 metallic plumage. 



Humming-birds possess an almost unique power and peculiarity 

 of flight. The Duke of Argyll ('Reign of Law,' p. 175) describes 

 it thus : — " The Humming-birds are perhaps the most remarkable 

 examples in the world of the machinery of flight. The power 

 of poising themselves in the air, — remaining absolutely stationary 

 whilst they search the blossoms for insects, — is a power essential 



to their life When they intend progressive flight, it is 



effected with such velocity as to elude the eye. The action of 

 the wing in all these cases is far too rapid to enable the observer 

 to detect the exact difference between that kind of motion which 

 keeps the bird at absolute rest in the air, and that which carries 



it along with such immense velocity There is another 



fact mentioned by those who have watched their movements 

 most closely — Adz. the fact that the axis of the Humming-bird's 

 body, when hovering, is always highly inclined, so much so as 

 to appear almost perpendicular in the air. In other words, the 

 wing-stroke, instead of being delivered perpendicularly down- 

 wards, which would infallibly carry the body onwards, is de- 

 livered at such an angle forwards as to bring to an exact balance 

 the upward, the downward, and the forward forces which bear 

 upon the body of the bird." The sight of a number of these 

 birds feeding round some trees which are out in full bloom 

 is described by all who have witnessed it as being one of the 

 most remarkable spectacles of the Tropics. 



Their intellect seems to be of a low order. In their disposition 

 (says Mr. Gould) they are unlike birds, and approach more 

 nearly the insects. Restlessness, irritability, and pugnacity are 

 among their principal characteristics ; they not only fight per- 

 sistently among themselves, but they will even venture to attack 

 much larger birds, and it is said that several of them will com- 

 bine and attack a Hawk and drive it away. People are often 



