HUMMING-BIRD. 345 



This species is common in Carolina, and advances also to the 

 more northward parts : we hear of it in Canada, as far as the Bay 

 of Gaspe, and it is found to breed both at Halifax and Quebec. It 

 comes into Georgia, about the 23d of March, and the female is 

 always more scarce than the male, which sits on the extremity of the 

 dead twig of a tree in the spring mornings, and not far from the 

 blossoms which it sucks, often darting with great swiftness to them, 

 especially of the Trumpet flower, Buck's Eye, &c. Mr. Abbot also 

 adds, that it does not get the adult plumage till the second year, and 

 that in the intermediate state the plumage varies so much, as to pass, 

 with the unexperienced, for a different bird. The young males have 

 here and there a feather on the throat like the adult, which appears 

 brown, but if turned to the light shews a beautiful red, and the outer 

 tail feather tipped with white; in this state they have been mistaken 

 for females, and indeed the same circumstance, no doubt, has attended 

 the reputed hens of other species. 



These birds subsist entirely on the nectar, or sweet juice of flowers, 

 and they frequent those most, which have a long tube, especially the 

 Touch me not Balsam,* and crimson-flowered Monarda, likewise 

 the various Convolvuli. They never settle on the flower, while 

 extracting the Juice, but flutter continually, like bees, moving their 

 wings quick, and making a murmuring, or humming noise, whence 

 their name ;-f during this they are inattentive to what passes, and 

 will suffer any one to come within a foot or two of the place where 

 they are, but on being approached nearer, fly off* like an arrow from 

 a bow ; are often observed to meet and contend with each other for 

 the right to a flower, while on the wing, J and in this state often 

 come into rooms, where the windows are open, and after fighting a 



* Balsamum Noli me tangere. t Whoever has seen in England the method by 



which the Hawk-moth takes in its nourishment, will have a just idea of that of the Hum- 

 ming-bird, particularly that species called Sphinx Stellatarum, or Humming-bird Moth. 



£ Often flying to a vast height perpendicularly, shrieking out at the same time with all 

 their might. 



vol. iv. Y y 



