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TROCHILUS COLUBRIS. 
insects that dance in the air in a fine summer evening, 
retiring to an adjoining twig to rest, and renewing 
the attack with 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 with 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, were 
found unbroken. The observations of Mr Coffer, as 
detailed above, and the remarks of my worthy friend 
Mr Peale, are corroborative of these facts. It is well 
known, that the humming bird is particularly fond of 
tubular flowers, where 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 tliat the former 
compose at least as great a portion of his usual suste- 
nance 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 flowers of which this little bird 
is fond, would be to repeat the names of half our 
American Flora. From the blossoms of the towering 
poplar, or tulip tree, through a thousand intermediate 
flowers, to those of the humble larkspur, he ranges 
at will, and almost incessantly. Every period of the 
season produces a fresh multitude of new favourites. 
Towards the month of September there is a yellow 
flow er w hich grows in great luxuriance along the sides 
of creeks and rivers, and in low r moist situations ; it 
grow s to the height of tw r o or three feet, and the flower, 
which is about the size of a thimble, hangs in the shape 
of a cap of liberty above a luxuriant growth of green 
leaves. It is the balsamina noli me tangere of botanists, 
and is the greatest favourite with the humming bird 
of all our other flowers. In some places, where these 
plants abound, you may see, at one time, ten or twelve 
humming birds darting about, and fighting w ith and 
pursuing each other. About the 20th of September 
