Humming- Birds. 211 



and experience, and form no part of the inherited 

 complex instincts. The longer he observes any- 

 one species or individual, the more does he find in 

 it to reward his attention ; this is not the case, 

 however, with humming-birds, which possess the 

 avian body but do not rank mentally with birds. 

 The pleasure one takes in their beauty soon 

 evaporates, and is succeeded by no fresh interest, 

 so monotonous and mechanical are all their actions ; 

 and we accordingly find that those who are most 

 familiar with them from personal observation have 

 very little to say about them. A score of humming- 

 birds, of as many distinct species, are less to the 

 student of habits than one little brown-plumaged 

 bird haunting his garden or the rush-bed of a 

 neighbouring stream; and, doubtless, for a reason 

 similar to that which makes a lovely human face 

 uninformed by intellect seem less permanently 

 attractive than many a homelier countenance. He 

 grows tired of seeing the feathered fairies per- 

 petually weaving their aerial ballet-dance about the 

 flowers, and finds it a relief to watch the little finch 

 or wren or flycatcher of shy temper and obscure 

 protective colouring. Perhaps it possesses a 

 graceful form and melodious voice to give it 

 aesthetic value, but even without such accessories 

 he can observe it day by day with increasing interest 

 and pleasure; and it only adds piquancy to the 

 feeling to know that the little bird also watches him 

 with a certain amount of intelligent curiosity and 

 a great deal of suspicion, and that it studiously 

 endeavours to conceal from him all the little secrets 

 of its life which he is bent on discovering. 



