MY HUMMING BIRDS. 



50 



tering hearts we saw him settle upon the cup as of old, and 

 while he drank, we rushed lightly forward ou tiptoe to securo 

 him. 



We were quite rebuked for our want of faith when the charm- 

 ing creature, after deliberately finishing its draught, looked up 

 into our flurried faces with the quietest expression of inquiry. I 

 almost heard it ask in a patronizing way — "Why, what 's the 

 matter, good people?" 



I felt so much ashamed, that I immediately threw open the 

 door again and let him have the rest of the day to himself; but 

 as I observed him playing with some of the wild birds, I con- 

 cluded to shut him up for a week or two longer, when he 

 returned as usual, to roost that night. W r hile out it had evidently 

 found the restorative for which it had been pining, and what that 

 might be I now determined, if possible, to discover. The necessity 

 of having a pair of the young birds that I might be enabled to 

 study their habits more effectually, became now more fully appa- 

 rent; for I knew however tame our bird might be now, that if 

 it happened to meet with its old mate, or a new one, it would 

 be sure to desert us, as a matter of course. Young ones, raised 

 by myself, I could trust. 



Chance favoured me somewhat strangely about this time. I 

 had been out squirrel shooting early one sweltering hot morning, 

 and on my return had thrown myself beneath the shade of a 

 thick hickory, near the bank of a creek. I lay on my back, 

 looking listlessly out across the stream, when the chirp of the 

 Humming Bird and its darting form reached my senses at the 

 same instant. I was sure I saw it light upon the limb of a small 

 iron-wood tree, that happened to be exactly in the line of my 

 vision at that instant. This tree leaned over the water a con- 

 siderable distance. I thought of Le Vaillant and watched steadily. 

 In about five minutes another chirp, and another bird darted in. 

 I saw this one drop upon what seemed to be a knot on an 

 angle of the limb. I heard the soft chirping of greeting and 

 love: I could scarcely contain myself for joy. I would have given 

 anything in the world to have dared to scream "I 've got you! 

 I've got you at last!" By a great struggle I choked down my 

 ecstacy and kept still. One of them now flew away; and after 

 waiting fifteen minutes, that seemed a week, I rose, and with my 

 eye steadily fixed upon that important limb, I walked slowly 

 down the bank, without of course, seeing Avhere I placed my feet. 

 But the highest hopes are sometimes doomed to fall, and a fall 

 mine took with a vengeance! I caught my foot in a root, and 

 tumbled head foremost down the bank into the water! I suppose 

 such a ducking would have cooled the enthusiasm of most bird- 



