tree I noticed a young bird sitting on a 

 nest. He was almost grown. Not wish- 

 ing to frighten the little chap, I stopped 

 abruptly. But he darted away. How- 

 ever, his wings were too weak, and down 

 he sank fluttering, falling into a big tuft 

 of tall grass. 



He was perfectly helpless, so I very 

 tenderly picked him up and placed him 

 back on the nest. To my surprise and 

 amusement he did not attempt to escape, 

 but stood up boldly and looked at me in 

 a saucy, defiant way. The parent birds 

 were buzzing around me like angry bees, 

 but when they saw that I did not harm 

 their offspring they both alighted near 

 the nest. 



A large clump of wild currants stood 

 in one corner of the yard. I noticed two 

 hummingbirds almost constantly hover- 

 ing around the bush among the large yel- 

 low flowers. 



I went out one afternoon and secreted 

 myself in the clump, in order to observe 

 more closely the actions and peculiarities 

 of the birds. One was the largest hum- 



mingbird I had ever seen, and its plu- 

 mage was simply gorgeous. 



Soon the birds came around, but they 

 did not seem in the least alarmed by my 

 presence. The larger one came very near, 

 and actually flew against my face. I held 

 up my hand, when the bird flew straight 

 into it. I instantly closed my fingers and 

 held him a prisoner. His plumage was 

 brilliant beyond description. As the beau- 

 tiful captive did not seem to resent my 

 familiarity, I examined his coat carefully 

 before giving the bird its freedom. 



I had still another experience with a 

 hummer. On a bright summer day one 

 flew through an open door into a room 

 where I was sitting. Quick as a flash the 

 bird discovered its mistake. It dashed 

 against a window pane with all its might 

 and dropped on the floor. I hastily picked 

 it up. It seemed quite dead. But as I 

 held it in my open hand, silently sympa- 

 thizing over its fate, the bird suddenly 

 revived and flitted out through the open 

 door before I could wink. 



J. Mayne Baltimore. 



MY HUMMINGBIRD 



No other fairy did I see 



So graceful, pulsing, in the air, 

 As if the heart of nature beat 



Its throbbings in the birdlet there. 



The gray, the green, the dash of red, 



The beating wings that gauzy seem — 

 So rapid the vibrating hum — 



I almost dream were but a dream. 



Then suddenly I cry aloud, 



When in a rapid-shooting ray, 

 My fairy disappears, a-flash, 



Into the sun-haunts far away. 



Willis Edwin Hurd. 



56 



