FLYCATCHERS. 149 



ing its bill into tlie moutli of its offspring and injecting 

 food as though from a syringe. 



Some tropical Hiimraingbirds have songs worthy the 

 name, but the notes of our liuby-throat are a mere 

 squeak, sometimes prolonged into a twitter. 



Under any circumstances a Hummingbird's nest ex- 

 cites aduiiratiou. But if you would appreciate its fairylike 

 beauty, find one where the birds have placed it, proljably 

 on the horizontal limb of a liirch. Doubtless it will be 

 occupied by the female, for it seems that the male takes 

 little or no part in family affairs after incubation begins. 

 As far as kno-wn, all Hummingbirds lay two white eggs 

 — frail, pearly ellipses, that after ten days' inculjation 

 develop into a tangle of tiny dark limbs and l)odies, 

 which no one would think of calling birds, much less 

 " winged gems." 



PERCHING BIRDS. (ORDER PASSERES.) 



Flycatchers, (Family Tyrannid^.) 



Doubtless, e\'ery (irder of bir(.ls lias had its day wlien, 

 if it was not a dominant t^'pe, it was at least sufficiently 

 near it to l)e considered modern ; and as we review what 

 is known to us of that great series of feathered forms, 

 from the Archpeo]5teryx to the Thrushes, we can real- 

 ize how varied has been the characteristic avifmina of 

 eacli succeeding epocli from the Jurassic period to the 

 present. 



]^ow has come the day of the order Pafsxeres, the 

 Perching Birds ; hero belong our Flycatchers, Orioles, 

 Jays, Sparrows and Finches, Yireos, Swallows, Warblers, 

 "Wrens, Thrushes, and many others. A recent authority 

 classifies birds in thirty -four orders, but fully one half of 



