1905 
June 8 
Humming' 
bird* s 
nest 
As I was standing in front of the barn at the Ritchie 
place about half-past five this afternoon, a female Humming¬ 
bird passed me, flying only a few feet above the ground in 
long, easy undulations. On reaching a low, spreading, isolated 
apple tree that grows on the crest of the hill in open, 
cultivated ground, she made an abrupt upward turn and dis¬ 
appeared among the foliage. If I am not mistaken, she turned 
not only upward but also doubled back for she seemed to have 
passed completely under the tree before she changed her 
course. I have seen this done before and I at once sus¬ 
pected a nest, which I quickly found, saddled on a drooping 
twig of the tree about 7 feet above the ground. The bird 
flew from it when I was still ten yards away and when I got 
under it she darted about my haad, coming within three or 
four feet of my face and making a loud angry buzzing with 
her wings which sounded exactly like that of an enraged 
Bumblebee. There were two eggs which looked as if they were 
rather far advanced in incubation. There were a pair of 
Hummers about the farm-house in May but I have seen none 
there of late. The last bird I saw was a female feeding 
among the blossoms of a h©?se chestnut at the Ritchie place. 
