6 American Birds 



recognize that the flowers in the hand were better than 

 those on the bush. 



Then one day I dipped my finger in sweetened water 

 and held it up to one of the twins as he sat on the line. I 

 was amused, for such a treat came to him as a complete 

 surprise. Before that, when a finger was put up near his 

 nose, he poked it, but found nothing attractive; now his 

 little tongue darted out and hauled in the sweet. The next 

 instant he was buzzing about my face and neck, poking 

 for honey. He seemed as enthusiastic as a man who had 

 suddenly struck a new mine, for it all looked alike to him. 

 If one part was sweet, perhaps it all was, and it was high 

 time he was knowing this new source of food, for he had 

 seen such things as people before. 



One morning I found one of the young hummers sit- 

 ting muffled up on the clothes-line, sound asleep in the sun. 

 The Instant I touched the line he awoke as if from a bad 

 dream, and was all excitement. I didn't have any sweet- 

 ened water, but I picked up a ripe plum, tore the skin away, 

 and held it up. In went the sharp bill, but it came out 

 with thrice the rapidity. Such a face! He almost fell 

 backward off the perch and nearly shook his head off, 

 scolding in a little squeaky voice all the time. 



It was amusing to watch the little fellows, for each had 

 his own perch on a separate line and every once in a while, 

 when one went too near the perch of the other, there was 

 a little friendly bout and they darted back and forth, 

 chasing each other in the sunshine. But, as the days 

 passed, I noticed these little conflicts seemed to grow more 

 serious. One would dart at the other,, and round and 

 round the yard they would go, whizzing and screeching, 



