126 . CAMPS IN THE CARIBBEES. 
again, the deep silence broken only by the call of the 
wood-pigeon. 
Turning my attention more closely to the vines that 
enclosed me, to be satisfied that there were no poison- 
ous centipedes or scorpions lurking there, I unex- 
pectedly beheld a vision of loveliness seldom vouch- 
safed to dwellers of the icy North. Close at hand, 
within two feet of me, sat a tiny humming-bird on a 
downy nest, which was fastened upon atwig no larger 
than a pencil. During all my stay it had sat there, 
gazing upon the first object of human kind, probably, 
it had ever beheld. Fearlessly it glanced at me with 
its bright, black eyes, and curiously it followed my 
every motion with its shapely little head. Involun~ 
tarily I stretched forth my hand to touch it, but at 
once drew back for fear it might take alarm and fly 
away. A buzzing of wings attracted my attention, 
and I beheld the mate of the one on the nest, who 
darted at me with unmistakable fury, his glittering 
crest erected and anger shooting from his eyes. 
Verily ! had this pigmy’s body been in proportion to 
his heart, I should have been destroyed. Satisfied 
that he could not drive me away by darting at my 
eyes, he rested himself a moment upon a twig near 
the nest, where he was at once joined by the female, 
who seemed to endeavor by caresses to soothe his 
ruffed temper and to assure him that my intentions 
toward them were not evil. ‘Touched to the heart by 
this exhibition of trust and love, I would not have 
harmed these little innocents for a fortune. Exposed 
for a moment, as the female left the nest, were two 
eggs, white as snow, diminutive as seed-pearls. 
For several hours I watched without even a sound 
