i84 THE BOOK OF BIRDS 



ments. Almost before the enemy has made up his mind 

 to strike, the wee traveller has flashed out of sight. 



The habit of thrusting their beaks into the heart of the 

 glorious flowers that expand in the moist warm tropical 

 forests once led people to suppose that Humming-Birds 

 lived on honey. But we know now that their most usual 

 food is insects —small flies, of which they eat a prodigious 

 number, spiders, and such like. 



Of syrup all Humming-Birds seem fond. Webber, a 

 naturalist of last century, often found that he could lure 

 back a captive that he had set at liberty, by putting a 

 supply ready for it on its return to the window. On one 

 occasion, having enticed several Ruby-throated Humming- 

 Birds into a room by means of vases of tempting flowers, 

 he caught one of his visitors in his hand, and sent his 

 sister to prepare a meal of sugar and water for the tiny 

 prisoner. 



While she was gone, he gradually opened his hand to 

 have a better look at the bird. " I saw to my no small 

 amusement as well as suspicion," he says, "that it was 

 actually ' playing 'possum ' — feigning death most skilfully. 

 It lay on my open palm motionless for some minutes, 

 during which I watched it in breathless curiosity. I saw 

 it open its bright little eyes to peep whether the way was 

 clear, and then close them slowly as it caught my eye 

 upon it." 



But when the lady returned with the home-made nectar, 

 the little captive shamming death could not resist the 

 temptation to come to life again. It started up, and the 

 next moment was busy sipping the sweet food out of the 

 silver teaspoon held to its beak. Having drunk as much 

 as it wanted, and refusing to take a drop more, the tiny 

 creature sat on Mr. Webber's finger as coolly as possible, 



