212 
TROCHILUS COLUBRIS. 
insects that dance in the air in a fine summer erenipr’ 
retiring to an adjoining- twig to rest, and renei'ii'* 
the attack nith a dexterity tliat sets all our otbf* 
flycatchers at defiance. I have opened, from tim® * 
time, great numbers of these bird.s; have examined*, 
contents of the stomach with siiitahlc glasses, and, ’ • 
three cases out of four, have found these to consi;^*. ^ 
broken frag-ments of insects. Iii many subjects, eotl*'^ 
insects of the coleopterous class, hut Very small, " 
found unbroken. The observations of Mr Coffer, ^ 
detailed above, and the remarks of my worthy f’rb’^ 
Mr Peale, are corroborative of the.se facts. It is 
known, that the humming bird is particularlv 
tubular flowei-s, where numerous small insects of ^ 
kind resort to feed on the farina, &c ; and there 
everj' reason for believing that he is as often in 
of these insects as of honey; and that the fer'*'! 
compose at least as great a portion of his usual 
nance as the latter. If this food be so necessary 
the parents, there is no doubt but the young 
occasionally jiartake of it. .j 
To enumerate all the flowers of which this little 
is fond, n-ould be to re])cat the names of half 
American Tlora. From the blossoms of the tower' ^ 
poplar, or tulip tree, through a thousand internied*" ^ 
flowers, to those of the bumble lark.si)ur, he r»**rV 
at will, and almost incessantly. Every period of /y 
season produces a fresh multitude of new favoori*‘’’i 
Towards the month of September there is a y®.^ 
flower which grows in great luxuriance along the s'*!', 
of creeks and rivers, and in low moist .situation^’ . 
grows to the height of tw'o or three feet, and the 
wdiich is about the size of a thimble, hangs in the 
of a cap of liberty above a lu.xuriaut growth of 
leaves. It is t be balsamina. noli me lunger a of botai”' j 
and is the greatest favourite with the humming 
of all our other flowers. In some places, where tb 
plants abound, you may see, at one time, ten or tw*-' i 
humming birds darting about, and lighting «i‘b “I f 
pursuing each other. About the 20th of SepteD'*’ 
