1886.] Observations on Young Humming-Birds, 529 
closer inspection lest I should injure them or frighten off the old 
bird, and I particularly wished to ascertain other points which 
could only be done by leaving the nest undisturbed. The two 
young lay quite still at the bottom of the nest (which was deeper 
than those I have seen after the birds have left, and with sides and 
edge beautifully finished) with their heads pointing the same way 
and their bills somewhat upward and against the side of the nest. 
The annexed diagram, from memory, will give a fair idea of their 
general appearance at this time, it being borne in mind that spe- 
cial attention was paid to the head and bill. 
On the following Thursday I again went up to the nest, and 
found the birds somewhat grown and the typical humming-bird 
bill beginning to show itself. I can best describe it by saying 
that it looked somewhat as if it had grown out of,or on to the 
other like an extraneous thing, but was still only a fraction of an 
inch long, say a quarter or trifle less. During this time the old 
bird had been on the nest nearly always when I passed by, or if 
aWay was very soon back. A few days later, 
however, I found her absent for some time, at . 
different hours of the day, and feared some acci- 
dent had happened, but on watching near by I 
finally saw her return and feed the young and a neen 
then sit on the nest again. I now borrowed an bird’s head on Thurs- 
Opera-glass and passed a good deal of time 02% "2 aes mian 
Watching the feeding of the young. When first memory. 
Seen the old bird perched on the edge of the nest in an erect atti- 
tude, very much as a woodpecker on the trunk of a tree, and 
bent down her bill close to her nest whilst feeding the young; 
ter on the position was varied, sometimes sitting nearly horizon- 
tal and feeding a bird on the opposite side of the nest. After 
the young got a little larger she could be seen to thrust her bill 
into theirs; she fed first one and then the other, apparently by re- 
Surgitation from the crop, for a motion could be seen in the region- 
of the throat, and after feeding one she would hold up her head 
for an instant before feeding the other. In a few days she ceased 
to brood the young, but fed them very frequently. I often saw her 
fy to the nest, and when she had gotten near she would generally 2 
_ Polse and look round before perching on its edge. On going — 
away she would sometimes fly off immediately till out of sight, — 
- at others would alight some twenty to forty yards off and stay for 
