THE HUMMING-BIRDS 185 



and preened its brilliant feathers as calmly as if on a 

 branch in its native forest. 



Humniing-Birds are very particular about their toilet. 

 They are so spick and span, so graceful and bright, that 

 one can hardly imagine such a thing as a draggled and 

 unkempt member of this fairy family. 



They love bathing. Bates, the 'Naturalist on the 

 Amazons,' says : "I saw a little pigmy . . . one day in 

 the act of washing itself in a brook. It was joerched on a 

 thin branch, whose end was under water. It dipped itself, 

 then fluttered its wings and preened its feathers, and 

 seemed thoroughly to enjoy itself alone in the shady nook 

 which it had chosen." 



It would seem that they bathe at almost any hour of 

 the day, but the favourite time is when the long hot hours 

 are ended and night is drawing on. At least one species, 

 however, take their ' cold tub ' at sunrise, when it is often 

 very cold indeed. 



Wallace, the scientist, noticed a number of blue and 

 green Sabre-winged Humming-Birds dashing in and out 

 among the leaves of a tree, which were drenched with the 

 heavy tropical dew — a delightful way of cleaning their 

 plumage, and one which they seemed greatly to enjoy. 



Humming-Birds are so numerous, and many of them 

 live in such remote forest regions, that it is to be hoped 

 they will never become extinct. But tens of thousands 

 of dead specimens are, or used to be until quite lately, 

 collected and shipped to Europe for decorating ladies' hats. 



As recently as the summer of 1908, Lord Stanmore told 

 the members of a sjoecial Parliamentary Committee how, 

 when he was Governor of Trinidad, he came upon a negro 

 idly shooting these lovely bird-fairies — ^just for the pleasure 

 of killing — and leaving them lying where they fell. And 



