316 LA2a)-BIRDS. 



cure the honey, but to obtain the smaller insects which feed 

 upon it. Of all the yarions flowers which they visit, they 

 show a marked fondness for those which are trumpet-shaped, 

 such as belong to the bignonia and honeysuckle. They do 

 not frequent the lower and more humble kinds, but prefer 

 those which are large and showy, and grow on shrubs, bushes, 

 and vines. The taller garden-flowers also attract their atten- 

 tion.* They are not wholly nectar-fed, as has poetically and 

 popularly been supposed, but are chiefly insectirorous. They 

 may be seen perched on some twig, from which they shoot 

 into the air, and with great address seize the gnats and smaller 

 insects, many of which are invisible to the naked human eye. 

 They sometimes perch as if merely to rest, the female espe- 

 cially. They never alight upon the grotmd. but they sometimes 

 perch upon weeds, and have been known to perish from being 

 caught in the burs of the burdock.^^ They choose for their 

 haunts not only orchards, gardens, and groves near them, but 

 also forests, as I have several times observed among the Wbite 

 [Mciintains. It is probable that they mtieh more often fre- 

 quent the woods in civilized districts than is commonly sup- 

 posed. Though jcaLjus and daringly pugnacious, yet they 

 are known to congregate occasionally in flocks, chiefly during 

 the migrations. Though apparently very hardy, yet they 

 have never. I believe, been snccessfidly kept in eonflnement 

 for more than a few months. The principal obstacles in rear- 

 ing tihem are the injuries which they receive, if allowed to fly 

 about a room, their suffering from cold, and the difficulty of 

 providing proper food, since any prepared sirup apparently 

 does not satisfy" them except when vouns'. 



^ To my bic^raphy of the Hnnmang- — ■= This fact has been commnmeated 



bird I Till here add that one flnttenrd to the Xatwalist by Mr. A. K. Fisher, 



abont the artificial floweis on the hat The orio^inal dJseoTertr of the dead 



of a younz lady arriaz ont of dcKi-re. bird (or rather irs remains, a skeleton) 



and tha: another, haTiTig become entan- " fonnd a live one on a plant near by." 



gled in co'cireos. so that he eonld not Mr. Fisher himself f omul a Yellowbiid 



see. remained on the twig of a piazza- (^^iinus trigis) thns caught, who "' tore 



Tine, the twig haTing been cnt off by itself away, leaving a number of its 



scissois,whilecarricdthroiighthetoiise. feathers on the bttrs." He also fonnd 



and imdl his pltmniie •^as cleared of <• Tellow-mmped Warbler "'fastened 



the web. and his si^ht resTored. when to the same kind of plant." 

 he at once became actire. From the 

 Appendix (p. 444) of the nrsi edition.] 



