1879. 
19 
Troehilus eolubris, 
Maine (Lake Umbagog). 
(May 23) 
24. 
June 5. 
1880. 
May 18. 
1881. 
May 20. 
the cold, and each little fern v/as so puffed up thti 
it lookea like a ball of dovn. As the sun rose higher 
they resumed their charac ter i.s tic nervous of-.ergy and the 
snovny canopies of blossoms witnessed many a spirited con¬ 
test between the pugnaeeous males. The fornalos v/ero 
in ah'j out the proportion of one to four females. The 
males paid them little aoiention devoting most of their 
time to feeding, and quarrelling ivith one aiiOther, 
They are evidently not yet paired. I heard only two 
notes a sharp squeak and an eKooedingly fine tv/’i t ter ing . 
Their flights -.vore most entertaining being spirited and 
decisive to a degrre; sometimes the corn|)atants v/ould 
come to the ^ground clinched together and v;hon the v;oakor 
gave v/ay and fled there yras alv/ays a sharp pursuit 
The orchard was filled with their shrill squeaking’ and 
the hum of their tiny vnings vras incessant. What a pity 
that a scene so interesting must bo so transient. In 
a day or two the blossoms will fall and then another 
year^rnust pass before the plum orchard will be again rro- 
visited by those eharraing little sprites. 
The plum trees showeringdovm their faded petals and 
the Hummers nearly all gone, only one or two lingering 
!! about the scene of their late revels 
A common resident; I see them daily. 
One^ poising in front of a fev/ freshly • opened blos¬ 
soms of the '’anada plum-tree in the garden. 
One darting like a bee across T.Qonard’ s Pond, 
Ic IS xn advance of the season for the Canada piui^i trees 
w'll^ not bloom for several days yet. 
