THE SWIFTS AND HUMMING-BIRDS 



209 



As the bird poises in mid-air, the sunlight 

 catches the patch of brilliant ruby-red feathers 

 on its throat, and sets it aflame. To make up for 

 their diminutive size, and give them a fair share 

 of beauty, Nature has clothed the throats and 



RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD. 



breasts of many Humming-Birds with feather- 

 patches of the most brilliantly iridescent colors, — 

 ruby-red, scarlet, green, blue and gold, — which 

 flash like jewels. Others again have long, orna- 



mental tail-feathers, ruffs, and other showy deco- 

 rations in feathers. 



The Humming-Birds are so very diminutive 

 one never ceases to wonder how such frail and 

 delicate creatures, feeding only upon the small- 

 est insects and the nectar of flowers, can make 

 long journeys over this rough and dangerous 

 earth, withstand storms, build their wonderful 

 little nests, rear their young, and migrate south- 

 ward again without being destroyed. Of course 

 their diminutive size enables them to escape the 

 attention of most of the living enemies which 

 gladly would destroy them. 



The nest of a Humming-Bird is about as large 

 in diameter as a lady's watch, and the eggs, of 

 which there are two, are the size of adult peas. 

 The food of these birds generally consists of 

 minute insects, many of which they find in large 

 flowers. When at rest, perching, the average 

 Hummer is not beautiful in form. Its head 

 seems too large, its neck and body much too 

 short, and its wings too long. It seems top* 

 heavy, and as if destitute of legs. It is on the 

 wing that these creatures look their best. 



What Humming-Birds lack in size, they try to 

 make up in number. There are nearly five 

 hundred species, and they are found only in the 

 New World. They are thoroughly tropical, but 

 in warm weather, and the season of flowers, they 

 migrate as far north as Alaska, and as far south 

 as Patagonia. Our country makes an accept- 

 able summer home for about sixteen species. 



The Ruby-Throat is the only one inhabiting 

 the eastern half of the United States, all the 

 others being found west of Arkansas, and the 

 Rocky Mountains. 



