Bird Study 121 



can tropics. Our one species east of the Rocky Mountains with which we 

 are all familiar has a ruby throat. This comes to us after a very long 

 journey each year. One species on the Pacific Coast is known to travel 

 three thousand miles to the north for the summer and back again in 

 winter. 



Hummingbirds are not supposed to sing, but to use their voices for 

 squeaking when angry or frightened. However, I once had the privilege 

 of listening to a true song by a hummingbird on the Pacific Coast. The 

 midget was perched upon a twig and lifted up his voice with every 

 appearance of ecstasy in pouring forth his lay. To my uncultured ear 

 this song was a fine, shrill, erratic succession of squeaks, "as fine as a 

 cambric needle," said my companion. 



The nest of the hummingbird is a most exquisite structure; it is about 

 three-fourths of an inch in diameter on the inside and about half an inch 

 deep. It is, in shape, a symmetrical cup; the outside is covered with 

 lichens to make it exactly resemble the branch on which it rests; the 

 inside is lined with the down of plant seeds and plant fibres. The lichens 

 are often fastened to the outside with the silk web of spiders or cater- 

 pillars. The nest is usually saddled on a branch of a tree from 10 to 50 

 feet above the ground. The eggs are two in number and white; they 

 look like tiny beans. The young are black and look, at first glance, more 

 like insects than like birds. 



LESSON XXVIII 



The Hummingbird 



Leading thought — The hummingbird in 

 flight moves its wings so rapidly that we 

 cannot see them. It can hold itself poised 

 above flowers while it thrusts its long beak 

 into them for nectar and insects. 



Method — Give the questions to the pupils 

 and let them make the observations when 

 they have the opportunity. 



Observations — i. Where do you find 

 the hummingbird? What flowers was it 

 visiting? At what time of day? Can you 

 tell whether it is a hummingbird or a hawk- 

 moth which is visiting the flowers? At 

 what time of day do the hawk-moths 

 appear? 



2. Does the hummingbird ever come 

 to rest? Describe its actions while resting. 



3. What are the colors of the back, throat, breast and under parts? 

 How do you distinguish the mother hummingbird from her mate? 



4. How does the hummingbird act when extracting the nectar? 

 How does it balance itself in front of a flower? Have you ever seen 

 hummingbirds catch insects in the air? If so, describe how they did it. 



5. Describe the hummingbird's nest. How large is it in diameter? 

 What is the covering outside? With what is it lined? 



