212 
HUMMING BIRD. 
some time dressing its disordered plumage, and then shot oft' like a 
meteor. 
The flight of the Humming Bird from flower to floAver, greatly resem- 
bles that of a bee, but is so much more rapid, that the latter appears a 
mere loiterer to him. He poises himself on "wing, while he thrusts his 
long slender tubular tongue into the flowers in search of food. He 
sometimes enters a room by the window, examines the bouquets of 
floAvers, and passes out by the opposite door or Avindow. He has been 
knoAvn to take refu<re in a hot-house during the cool nio-hts of autumn ; 
to go regular]}^ out in the morning, and to return as regularly in the 
evening, for seA'eral days together. 
The Humming Bird has, hitherto, been supposed to subsist altogether 
on the honey, or liquid SAveets, Avhich it extracts from floAvers. One or 
tAA'o ctirious obserATrs haA'e indeed remarked, that they have found evi- 
dent fragments of insects in the stomach of this species ; but these have 
been generall}" believed to have been taken in by accident. The fcAv 
opportunities Avhich Europeans have to determine this point by observa- 
tions made on the living bird, or by dissection of the neAvly-killed one, 
have rendered this mistaken opinion almost general in Europe. For 
myself I can speak decisively on this subject. I have seen the Hum- 
ming Bird fi)r half an hour at a time darting at those little groups of 
insects that dance in the air in a fine summer evening- retirino; to an 
adjoining tAA'ig to rest, and rencAving the attack Avith a dexterity that 
sets all our other Flycatchers at defiance. I have opened from time to 
time great numbers of these birds ; have examined the contents of the 
stomach Avith suitable glasses, and in three cases out of four, have found 
these to consist of broken fragments of insects. In many subjects 
entire insects of the coleopterous class, but very small, Avere found 
UT broken. The observations of Mv. Coff'er as detailed above, and the 
remarks of my Avorthy friend Mr. Peale, are corroborative of these 
facts. It is Avell knoAvn that the Humming Bird is particularly fond 
of tubular flowers Avhere numerous small insects of this kind resort to 
feed on the farina, &c., and there is every reason for believing that he 
is as often in search of these insects as of honey ; and that the former 
compose at 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 floAvers of Avhich this little bird is fond, would 
be to repeat the names of half our American Flora. From the blos- 
soms of the tOAvering poplar, or tulip tree, through a thousand inter- 
mediate floAvers to those of the humble larkspur, he ranges at Avill, and 
almost incessantly. Every period of the season produces a fresh multi- 
tude of ncAY favorites. ToAvards the month of September there is a 
