48 BIRDS AND MAN 



are more often seen in humming-birds than in 

 birds of other famiUes ; and humming-birds do 

 not appear to discriminate between rapacious 

 and herbivorous mammals. When they see a 

 large animal moving about they fly close to and 

 examine it for a few moments, then dart away ; 

 if it comes too near the nest they will attack it, 

 or threaten an attack. When examining their 

 nests I have had humming-birds dash into my 

 face. The action is very much like that of a 

 stingless, solitary carpenter bee, common in La 

 Plata : when the tree or bush in which this bee 

 has its nest is approached by a man it darts about 

 in an eccentric manner, humming loudly, and at 

 intervals remains suspended motionless for ten 

 or fifteen seconds at a height of seven or eight 

 yards above his head ; suddenly it dashes quick 

 as lightning into his face, inflicting a sharp blow. 

 The bee falls, as if stunned, a space of a couple of 

 feet, then rises again to repeat the action. 



There is certainly a wide difference between 

 so simple an instinctive action as this, which 

 cannot be regarded as intelligent or conscious, 

 and the actions of most birds in the presence of 

 danger to their eggs or young. In species that 



