THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 241 



in this, that she leaps or sometimes rolls from rock to rock 

 without letting it fall. It is well for her she does so, for 

 should such a mishap befall her, the male bird chastises 

 her without pity. This egg is even concealed with so 

 much care by the mother, that to get possession of it, it is 

 necessary to engage in a regular battle with her. The 

 male also mixes himself up in the affair ; at his mate's call 

 of anger he rushes to the spot, and throws himself upon 

 the ravisher with a fury which only ceases when he sinks 

 under his assailant's club. 



CHAPTER I. 



GIANTS AND PIGMIES. 



Nature presents everywhere the most opposite extremes. 

 Birds have also their pigmies and their giants, their idlers 

 and indefatigable workers. Their habits display, side by 

 side, imbecility and intelligence, sohtude and family life. 



Often in the tropical regions, Avliere the sun darts his 

 fiercest rays, we may see flitting over the flowers brilhant 

 birds, which sweep rapidly past like a spark of topaz or 

 ruby; these are the humming-birds, living diamonds, 

 slighter than some insects, and which often become the 

 prey of huge spiders. 



The giant of this group scarcely attains the bigness of a 

 sparrow, and the smallest does not surpass in size the tij) 

 of a fair lady's finger. Hence, to the humming-birds, 

 as they are commonly called, each speck of creation is a 



31 



