HUMMING-BIRDS. 
117 
to the evening hours. One is sure to find them now toward 
sunset, fluttering about their favorite plants ; often there are sev- 
eral together among the flowers of the same bush, betraying 
themselves, though unseen, by the trembUng of the leaves and 
blossoms. They are extremely fond of the Missouri currant — of 
all the early flowers, it is the greatest favorite with them ; they 
are fond of the lilacs also, but do not care much for the syringa ; 
to the columbine they are partial, to the bee larkspur also, with 
the wild bergamot or Oswego tea, the speckled jewels, scarlet 
trumpet-flower, red clover, honeysuckle, and the lychnis tribe. 
There is something in the form of these tube-shape blossoms, 
whether small or great, which suits their long, slender bills, and 
possibly, for the same reason, the bees cannot find such easy ac- 
cess to the honey, and leave njore in these than in the open flowers. 
To the lily the humming-bird pays only a passing compliment, 
and seems to prefer the great tiger-lily to the othel' varieties ; the 
rose he seldom visits ; he will leave these stately blossoms any 
day for a head of the common red clover, in which he especially 
dehghts. Often of a summer's evening have we watched the 
humming-birds flitting about the meadows, passing from one tuft 
of clover to another, then resting a momejit on a tall spear of 
timothy grass, then off" again to fresh clover, scarcely touching 
the other flowers, and continuing frequently in the same field until 
the very latest twilight. 
Mr. Tupper, in his paper on " Beauty," pays a pretty compli- 
ment to the humming-bird. Personifying Beauty, he says, she 
" Fluttereth into the tulip with the humming-bird," 
But, although these little creatures are with us during the tulip 
