166 
THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 
dence in human nature, would dart at the little fellow and 
drive him away,, as if anxious for him to escape from so 
perilous a situation. But it only had a momentary effect on 
our little friend, as he would return with as confiding an as- 
surance of safety as before. His little twittering noise and 
averted eye, as he momentarily withdrew his bill from the 
flower, appeared to say, ^ surely thou wilt not hurt me.' 
After he had visited us every day so frequently for about 
three weeks, and been admired by numerous persons, he 
disappeared on the 11th of last month [August], being fed 
about the middle of the day, which was the last time that 
he was seen. As the wild humming-birds, which were quite 
numerous before, disappeared about the same time, it is 
probable he accompanied them to more southern regions. 
As we were on terms of the most friendly kind, it is hoped 
our little traveller will again revisit us, after he has finished 
his peregrinations among the flowers of the south, as it is 
very doubtful whether he will find them as sweet as he did 
the honeysuckles of Delaware." 
C. — It is a very amusing account, and appears to have 
an air of strict veracity. I observe the darting flight spoken 
of ; it resembles the motion of the dragon-flies more than 
that of birds. 
F. — The flight of the humming-bird is like that of no 
other bird ; it has a character peculiarly its own. When 
most birds fly, we perceive that there is an evident effort ; 
that constant exertion, more or less, is necessary to support 
them in the air : their tendency appears to be to sink, which 
has to be continually resisted by muscular effort. The swal- 
lows, and some other tribes of swift and powerful flight, ap- 
pear to skim at will through any stratum of the atmosphere 
without any tendencij to rise or sink ; but our little hum- 
ming-bird seems just like a cork drawn under water ; he seems 
all buoyancy, as if his natural place were above the clouds. 
