308 
Passeres. 
BIRDS.- 
-TKOCllIHUAi. 
a portion of their food, and have been regarded by 
many naturalists as forming nearly their whole nour- 
ishment. From the observations of modern ornitholo- 
gists, however, there would appear to be no doubt that 
the Humming-birds are decidedly insectivorous, and 
tliat their principal object in visiting the flowers, about 
wliich they hover from morning till night, is'to obtain 
the small beetles and other insects which abound 
amongst the petals. Hovering in the air with its wings 
in such rapid motion as to be quite invisible, or only 
apparent like a grey mist on each side of the bird, the 
little Humming-bird buries its long bill in the interior 
of a flower, and then protruding its forked tongue, which 
is said to be indued with a viscid secretion, it readily 
seizes the little beetles and other insects which are 
attracted by the nectar, and retracting its tongue, 
swallows them immediately. While thus occupied, 
the rapidly-vibrating wings produce, a humming noise, 
whence the name applied to the birds. Some of the 
species do not depend wholly upon flowers for their 
supply of insect food, but have been observed capturing 
flies on the wing in the same way as the Flycatchers — 
namely, by taking up a post of observation upon the 
tip of a dead branch or twig, and flying ofi' in pursuit 
of their prey as soon as it comes within sight. The 
males are described as very pugnacious in their habits, 
rarely meeting without a battle, when the vanquished 
bird is compelled to quit the field ; and the victor 
returns to feast upon the flowers, for which he has 
fought so bravely. An immense number of species of 
these beautiful birds have been described ; but of these 
we can only refer to comparatively very few. For 
lurther information upon their forms and habits, illus- 
trated by the most life-like figures, the reader must 
consult Mr. Gould’s magnificent work, the “ Monograph 
of the Trochilidae.” 
THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD {TrocMlus 
col ubris), one of the most widely-distributed speciesof this 
family, is a beautiful bird, of a rich golden-green colour 
above, and white, with a golden-green tinge beneath, 
e.xcept on the throat which is of the most brilliant ruby 
red; the wings and tail are purplish-brown, and the bill, 
eyes, and feet black. The female differs from the male 
in the absence of the brilliant crimson colour on the 
throat, and in having the tail feathers tipped with white. 
The total length of the bird is three inches and a half. 
Like many other Humming-birds, the Euby-throat is 
migratory; but its wanderings extend to a far greater 
distance than those of any other species. It passes the 
winter in the warm regions of Central America, and 
about the month of March sets off on its migrations 
towards the north. In the course of this month it 
arrives in the southern states of the American Union, 
and thence gradually advances, reaching the latitude of 
New York generally in May. From the northern 
states it ])asses into Canada, and even visits the terri- 
tories of Hudson’s Bay Company. In all these districts 
it breeds, and in some places rears two broods in 
the year. 
The nest, as described by Wilson, is generally fixed 
on the upper side of a horizontal branch, not among 
the twigs, but on the body of the branch itself. It is 
about an inch in diameter, composed externally of 
fragments of lichen glued on with a sort of saliva, 
within which is a thick layer of the wings of certain 
seeds ; and the whole is lined with the fine down of the 
mullein and of the stalks of ferns. The base of tbe 
nest is continued round the branch, so that when viewed 
fronr below, it appears to be a mere mossy knob or pro- 
tuberance. In some cases, it is built against the moss- 
grown trunk of an old tree, and occasionally upon the 
strong stem of some low growing plant. The eggs are 
two in numbei’, and pure white. Tubular flowers con- 
stitute the favourite resort of this Humming-bird ; and 
Wilson’s description of his behaviour about a thicket of 
full-blown trumpet-flowers may be given here as an 
illustration of the habits of this bird. “ He poises or 
suspends himself on wing,” says Wilson, “ for the space 
of two or three seconds, so steadily that his wings be- 
come invisible, or only like a mist; and you can plainly 
distinguish the pupil of his eye looking round with great 
quickness and circumspection. The glossy golden green 
of his back and the fire of his throat, dazzling in the 
sun, form altogether a most interesting appearance. 
When he alights, which he frequently does, he always 
prefers the small dead twigs of a tree or bush, where 
he dresses and arranges his plumage with great dex- 
terity. His only note is a single chirp, not louder than 
that of a small cricket or grasshopper, generally uttered 
while passing from flower to flower, or when engaged 
in fight with his fellows ; for when the males meet at 
the same bush or flower, a battle instantly takes place, 
and the combatants ascend in the air, chirping, darting, 
and circling round each other, till the eye is no longer 
able to follow them. The conciueror, however, gene- 
rally returns to the place to reap the fruits of his victory.” 
Mr. Gould, who saw great numbers of these birds at 
Washington, does not give them so pugnacious a char- 
acter, and is inclined to think that it must be during 
the breeding season that the males are so quarrelsome. 
“ The flight of the Humming-bird,” says Wilson, 
“ from flower to flower, greatly resembles 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 cf food. He sometimes enters a 
room by the window, examines the bouquets of flowers, 
and passes out by the opposite door or window. He 
has been known to' take refuge in a hothouse during 
the cool nights of autumn, to go regularly out in the 
morning, and to return as regularly in the evening, for 
several days together.” The I'ood of this species, accord- 
ing to Audubon, consists principally of insects, usually 
small beetles, which, with some equally diminutive 
flies, are commoidy found in the stomach. The pug- 
city of the Humming-bird is displayed not only in 
combats with his own species ; he will frequently attack 
the king bird and the martin with some degree of suc- 
cess ; and an old French writer declared that he could 
drive his slender bill into the body of a crow with 
such vigour, as to bring even this gigantic opponent to 
the ground ! A still more absurd notion, which we 
have sben published not long since, is, that the Hum- 
ming-bird will overcome even the eagle by perching 
on his head and picking out the feathers from that part 
of the king of birds! 
