8 



SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 



minute prey ; and in the yard of the house 

 in which I resided at Themascal tepee, when 

 one of them took entire possession of a pome- 

 granate tree in blossom, on which he sat the 

 whole day, catching the small flies that came 

 to the flowers. 



Naturalists have therefore fallen into error 

 in asserting that these birds live entirely on 

 the saccharine substance contained in flowers, 

 as I have very frequently seen them take 

 flies and other insects on the wing, and have 

 on dissection found them in their stomachs. 



There is little doubt that, with a supply 

 of this food, as well as syrup, honey, &c, 

 they might be kept alive in large cages ; but 

 the cages in which I made my experiments 

 were much too small for the purpose. 



Although, like the robin and other birds 

 of Europe, in a state of nature they are ex- 

 tremely tenacious of any intrusion of their 

 own species on their dominions, yet in cap- 



