LECTURE V. 187 



tongue in the manner of a large Moth, and dart- 

 ing off with the most rapid motion on the least 

 apprehension of danger. One of the most com- 

 mon, as well as one of the most beautiful of all 

 the Humming-birds is the Trochiliis Coluhris or 

 red-throated Humming-bird, which is not confined 

 to South America, but occurs also in most of the 

 northern parts of that continent, and is even 

 found as far north as Canada. Its colour above 

 is green-gold, with purplish-brown wings, and 

 tail, and befteath white, with the throat, to a 

 considerable distance over the breast, of the most 

 intense and vivid crimson, changing, on the least 

 alteration of posture, into the most brilliant gold- 

 colour, and again in some particular lights, into a 

 very dark or blackish cast. As before observed, 

 it is found in most parts of North America, and 

 -whoever places, in summer-time, some of its fa- 

 vourite flowers in the window, as the scarlet Mo- 

 narda, the Balsamine, and some others, is sure 

 of being visited by multitudes of this species of 

 Humming-Bird. " The most violent passions," 

 says an elegant writer, " sometimes agitate their 

 little breasts: they have often dreadful contests, 

 tvhen numbers happen to dispute the possession of 



