154 BIRDS 



Female — ^Without the brilliant feathers on throat; darker 



gray beneath. Outer tail-quills are banded with black 



and tipped with white. 

 Range — Eastern North America, from northern Canada 



to the Gulf of Mexico in summer. Winters in Central 



America. 

 Migrations — ^May. October. Common summer resident. 



(See plate, page llfi-) 



This smallest, most exquisite, and unabashed of our bird 

 neighbors cannot be mistaken, for it is the only one of its 

 kin found east of the Plains and north of Florida, although 

 about four hundred species, native only to the New World, 

 have been named by scientists. How does it happen that 

 this little tropical jewel alone flashes about our northern 

 gardens? What tempts him so far north? Every one 

 knows that certain flowers depend upon certain insect 

 friends to carry their pollen from blossom to blossom that 

 they may set fertile seed; but certain other flowers depend 

 upon the humming-bird. Only his tongue, that may be 

 run out beyond his long, slender bill and turned around 

 curves, could reach the drops of nectar in the tips of the 

 wild colmnbine's five inverted horns of plenty, for example. 

 The monarda or bee-balm, too, hides a sweet sip in each 

 of its red tubes for his special benefit. So does the coral 

 honeysuckle, the jewel-weed, and cardinal flower. There 

 are many other flowers that cater to him, especially, 

 by wearing his favorite color, by hiding nectar so deep that 

 only his long tongue can drain it, and by opening in or- 

 derly succession so that he shall fare weU throughout the 

 summer, not have a feast one month and a famine the 

 next. In addition to these flowers in Nature's garden 



