HUMMING BIRD. 211 



of the liquid frequently brought small flies and gnats about the cage, 

 and cup, the birds amused themselves by snapping at them on wing, and 

 swallowing them with eagerness, so that these insects formed no incon- 

 siderable part of their food. Mr. Charles Wilson Peale, proprietor of 

 the Museum, tells me, that he had two young Humming Birds which he 

 raised from the nest. They used to fly about the rooms ; and would 

 frequently perch on Mrs. Peale's shoulder to be fed. When the sun 

 shone strongly into the chamber, he has observed them darting after 

 the motes that floated in the light, as Flycatchers would after flies,. 

 In the summer of 1803 a nest of young Humming Birds was brought 

 me, that were nearly fit to fly. One of them actually flew out by the 

 window the same evening, and falling against a wall, was killed. The 

 other refused food, and the next morning I could but just perceive that 

 it had life. A lady in the house undertook to be its nurse, placed it in 

 her bosom, and as it began to revive, dissolved a little sugar in her mouth, 

 into which she thrust its bill, and it sucked with, great avidity. In this 

 manner it was brought up until fit for the cage. I kept it upwards of 

 three months, supplied it with loaf sugar dissolved in water which it 

 preferred to honey and water, gave it fresh flowers every morning 

 sprinkled with the liquid, and surrounded the space in which I kept it 

 with gauze, that it might not injure itself. It appeared gay, active, and 

 full of spirit, hovering from fiower to flower as if in its native wilds, 

 and always expressed by its motions and chirping, great pleasure at 

 seeing fresh flowers introduced to its cage. Numbers of people visited 

 it from motives of curiosity, and I took every precaution to preserve it, 

 if possible, through the winter. Unfortunately, however, by some means 

 it got at large, and, flying about the room, so injured itself that it 

 soon after died. 



This little bird is extremely susceptible of cold, and if long deprived 

 of the animating influence of the sunbeams, droops and soon dies. 

 A very beautiful male was brought me this season, which I put into a 

 wire cage, and placed in a retired shaded part of the room. After 

 fluttering about for some time, the weather being uncommonly cool, it 

 clung by the wires, and hung in a seemingly torpid state for a whole 

 forenoon. No motion whatever of the lungs could be perceived, on the 

 closest inspection, though at other times this is remarkably observable ; 

 the eyes were shut ; and when touched by the finger it gave no signs of 

 life or motion. I carried it out to the open air, and placed it directiv 

 in the rays of the sun, in a sheltered situation. In a few second,-: 

 respiration became very apparent ; the bird breathed faster and faster, 

 opened its eyes, and began to look about, with as much seeming vivacity 

 as ever. After it had completely recovered, I restored it to liberty ; 

 and it flew ofi" to the withered top of a pear tree, where it sat for 



