1886.] Observations on Young Humming-Birds. sgi 
I saw one of them raise himself on “ tip-toe” and, fluttering his 
wings, get upon the edge of the nest and then down upon the 
branch, sit there a moment, and then back into the nest in the 
same way. I watched all the morning, but neither bird left the 
nest, though both seemed very restless; on my return in the 
afternoon only one young bird remained. I saw the old one feed 
him once or twice, and noticed that she approached him from a 
different direction to what I had before seen, coming downwards 
from the clump of pines, on the edge of which stood the nesting 
tree, instead of the open glades from which I had always before 
seen her approach, I accordingly laid on my back and looked 
upward, and presently saw her return and perch on a bough be- . 
side another humming-bird, feed it and fly away. I now watched 
the bird on the bough very carefully and soon saw it fly, and this 
it did repeatedly at short intervals, sometimes down, again up, on 
a level and in curves: except for the shortness of its flights, I rs 
could see no difference from that of the old bird (and as it was 
well grown, had I seen it casually I should not have known it for 
a young one); there appeared to be the same precision of move- — 
ment, facility of turning and rising, and the same humming style a 
of flight, though I was not near enough to hear any sound. 
Once toward the end of an unusually long flight, I thought, I 
Perceived signs of fatigue, but do not feel sure of this. The sec- 
ond bird continued in the nest, and was still there on Friday 
morning and again in the afternoon, the other bird being in the 
neighboring trees, flying perfectly, and both frequently fed by the aes 
_Oldone. On Saturday morning the second bird had also left and = 
all three birds, if I remember rightly, were observed in and about 
the neighboring trees. I now tried to get some pots of flower- 
ing plants to place near by, and determine, if possible, how soon 
eey young would begin to feed themselves, but did not succeed 
m obtaining any, so that I could not ascertain this point. a fe 
ad frequently heard a faint chirping just before or during feed- — 
ing, but do not know if made by old or young, or both, though, 
se when feeding the flown bird, I once saw the old one seek him 
Tog little time, he having changed his place, and heard the- 
Coe a 
ss ie A 
Ping. I am in this case inclined to think the young bird- 
: — have made the sound, and perhaps the old one also. —— 
I TACE saw the old bird thrust her tongue out, and toa much 
ater distance than I should have supposed. eae 
