RED- THROATED HUMMING-BIRD. 337 



from ; for its onlj^ food is the honied juice lodged 

 in the nectaries, which it sucks through the tubes 

 of its curious tongue : like the bee, having ex- 

 hausted the honey of one flower, it wanders to the 

 next, in search of new sweets. It admires most 

 those flowers which have the deepest tubes. Thus 

 the female Balsamine and the scarlet Monarda are 

 particular favorites. Whosoever sets those plants 

 before the window is sure to be visited by mul- 

 titudes of these diminutive birds. It is a most 

 entertaining sight to see them swarming round 

 the flowers, and trying every tube of verticillated 

 plants, by putting their bills into every one which 

 encircles the stalk. If they fmd that their brethren 

 have been beforehand, and robbed the flower of 

 the honey, they will, in a rage, pluck it off*, ^nd 

 throw it on the ground. The most violent pas- 

 sions animate at times their little bodies. They 

 have often dreadful contests, when numbers hap- 

 pen to dispute possession of the same flower. 

 They will tilt against one another with such fury 

 as if they meant to transfix their antagonists with 

 their long bills. During the fight they frequently 

 pursue the conquered into the apartments of those 

 houses whose v/indows are left open, take a turn 

 round the room, as flies do in England, and then 

 suddenly regain the open air. They are fearless 

 of mankind, and in feeding will suffer people to 

 come within two yards of them; but on a nearer 

 approach, dart away with admirable swiftness. 

 I Fernandez Oviedo, an author of repute, speaks, 

 from his own knowledge, of the spirited instinety 

 V. VIII. p. I. 22t 



