272 
THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS. 
least as great a portion of his usual sustenance as the 
latter. If this food be so necessary for the parents, 
there is no doubt but the young also occasionally 
partake of it. To enumerate all the flowers of which 
this little bird is fond, would be to repeat the names 
of half our American Flora. From the blossoms of 
the towering poplar, or the tulip-tree, through a 
thousand intermediate flowers, to those of the humble 
larkspur, he ranges at will, and almost incessantly. 
Every period of the season produces a fresh multi- 
tude of new favourites. Towards the month of 
September, there is a yellow flower which grows in 
great luxuriance along the sides of creeks and rivers^ 
and in low, moist situations ; it grows to the height 
of two or three feet, and the flower, which is about 
^he size of a thimble, hangs in the shape of a cap of 
liberty above a luxuriant growth of green leaves. It 
is the hahamina noli me tangere of botanists, and is 
the greatest favourite with the humming-bird of all 
our other flowers. In some places, where these 
plants abound, you may see, at one time, ten or 
twelve humming-birds darting about, and fighting 
with and pursuing each other. About the 20th of 
September, they generally retire to the south. I 
