MY HUMMING BIRDS. 
115 
chirp as of old, and without an instant's hesitation it darts to 
the cnp, alights upon the rim and plunges its little thirsty 
bill up to the very eyes in that delicious cup, and takes the 
longest, deepest draught, I ever saw taken before by one of 
them ; and this convinced me that it had just arrived, and 
had come straight to its old home for food and love. My sis- 
ter burst into tears and screams of joyous laughter, and as to 
what ridiculous capers I might have been guilty of, I cannot 
tell — I only remember the self-contented and philosophical 
manner in which the returned pilgrim continued to plume 
its storm -ruffled feathers, uttering now and then the old 
chirps on the side of that cup ; this position it continued 
to retain until w^e bore him on it to his new house, of which 
he assumed possession with a remarkably matter of fact, or 
rather matter of course, air. 
About a week after this, while walking in the garden one 
morning, I observed two humming birds engaged in chasing 
each other in a very coy and loving manner. Something in 
the tame and confident manner of one of them made me sus- 
pect it was our bird engaged in making love. I went back 
for the white cup, and this time, too, its magic proved itself 
invincible — for both birds came without hesitation and set- 
tled upon the rim — the one which took the long and eager 
draught as if perishing of fatigue and hunger, proved to be 
the female that had just arrived. It was a little larger than 
the male, and seemed, at first, somewhat shyer than he, 
though a few days were sufiicient to make all right as ever 
between us again. 
How wondrous strange and incomprehensible it seemed to 
us — the acuteness of senses — the strength of memory and 
affection — the wizzard sagacity, in a word — that could have 
brought these tiny creatures back to us, from so many thou- 
sand miles away, straight as the arrow from the bow. I have 
never ceased wondering at that strange incident — but there is 
one yet quite as droll to come. The love season had now fully 
commenced, and our birds began to be absent for several 
