A Symposium of California Nature Stories by the 

 Nature Students in Chico Normal School 



california, the land of hummimg birds 

 Lila Shearer 



California is surely the home of humming birds. We have six 

 humming birds common to California and two others come to us 

 as visitors while one species, the ruby-throat, is found throughout 

 the East. 



Though humming birds are small they are great fighters. I 

 have seen them attack large birds like the hawks and blackbirds, 

 and even outdo the quarrelsome English sparrows. They will even 

 attack a human being who dares come too near the nesting site 

 unless he has already made himself a friend. 



With all their courage and pugnacity they are easily assured of 

 one's friendliness. They soon learn to feed from one's hand or 

 come for a bath in the spray held to water the lawn. Often they 

 are attracted to come close if drawn by a gay colored gown. 



It was long thought that hummers fed only on the nectar drawn 

 from flower cups but, pretty as this fancy is, it has proven untrue 

 for we know that they eat many small insects, both those sipped 

 in with the nectar and those caught on the wing. Many long 

 vased flowers are quide dependent on the hummers with their 

 slender, needle-like bills for pollination. 



Who has heard the humming birds sing? Yes, they sing though 

 it is more like the note of an insect than a bird. They sit in the 

 sun and squeak and "tsip" away most merrily and apparently 

 quite to the satisfaction of their dainty mates. 



The love making of these tiny birds is altogether unique. The 

 males perform most remarkable "stunts" in the air before admiring 

 the apparently unmoved females. With jeweled gorget spread 

 the male bird springs in a wide arc back and forth before the 

 female. Though she seems indifferent, we may be quite sure she 

 is taking an occasional side-glance at this marvellous performance. 

 Now he darts out into the air, flying straight up, until he appears 

 no more than a bee, then turning, he plunges down at so great a 

 speed one is certain he will dash himself to death or dash the little 

 female to pieces. Within a few feet of the ground he wheels and 

 darts again up, up and out of sight again into the blue. 



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