THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS, 
259 
Sipping the fragrant honeyed dew, — away 
Thou fly^st from flower to flower, and, blest 
With buoyant thoughts, and spirits fall of zest, 
Through fields of ether lies thine airy way. 
Not having a living subject to raake my drawing 
from, for the illustrative plate, and all the stuffed 
birds I could get at being some way or other defec- 
tive, it was suggested to me that I had better select 
one from some popular work of note. While deli- 
berating on the subject, half determined not to give 
the illustration, as all my other subjects were taken 
from life, a naval friend presented himself, with 
Donovan's very beautiful work in his hand, begging 
me to take any one from it, as he could answer for 
their correctness. His profession calling him to every 
part of the globe, he was well acquainted with each 
species of this lovely gem of other lands ; so, after 
turning over the leaves of this splendid work, choos- 
ing one, then fancying another more beautiful, I fixed 
upon the Trochilus Ornatus, there being additional 
interest attached to it, independent of its exquisitely 
splendid plumage ; and fearful of curtailing any of 
his beauty were his size reduced, have given him 
