THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD 



The restless activity and general appearance of the Humming- 

 bird make one almost hesitate to believe that it is really a bird 

 and not a brilliant tropical insect. It possesses no song ; few 

 people see it except on the wing, and its nest is so rarely found 

 that to most people the bird is merely a sudden apparition, seen 

 hovering over a flower, its ruby throat sparkling in the sun. When 

 the Humming-bird's nest is discovered, it turns out to be a struc- 

 ture as delicate and rare as its little architect. It is often fixed 

 on a lichen-covered twig, frequently in orchards, but as often on 

 tall forest trees. To the outside of the nest, bits of gray lichen 

 are fastened, so that at a distance the nest is mistaken for a knob 

 of the twig itself. The eggs are always two, ridiculously small, 

 like pea beans. 



The Humming-bird is not a good father. He neglects all the 

 domestic duties, being rarely seen near the nest after it is com- 

 pleted. The female brings up the two young birds unaided, feeding 

 them by thrusting her long bill into their gaping mouths and 

 pumping food into their throats. The process has been described 

 as " a frightful-looking act." The food thus administered to the 

 young consists, probably, of soft-bodied insects, for when Humming- 

 birds visit flowers, it is not only to gather honey, but also to capture 

 the smaller honey-gatherers. 



Many charming stories have been told of the fearlessness of 

 the Humming-bird. It had often been observed that birds fed from 

 flowers held in the hand, but it remained for Mrs. Soule to make 



