51 
The Male Ruby-Throat. 
1891.] 
nest occupied by young ones, although 
he did not see him feed or visit them. 
This nest, Mr. Jeffries says, was one 
of five which he has found. In the 
four other instances no male birds were 
observed, notwithstanding three of the 
nests Avere taken, — a tragedy which 
might be expected to bring the father 
of the family upon the scene, if he 
were anywhere within call. 
In view of the foregoing evidence, 
it appears to me reasonably certain 
that the male ruby-throat, as a rule, 
takes no considerable part in the care 
of eggs and young. The testimony 
covers not less than fifty nests. Some 
bf them were watched assiduously, 
nearly all were examined, and the 
greater part were actually taken; yet 
of the fifty or more male proprietors, 
only two were seen; and concerning 
these exceptions, it is to be noticed 
that in one case the eggs Avere just 
laid, and in the other, while the hun¬ 
gry nestlings must have kept the Ano¬ 
ther bird extremely busy, her mate Avas 
not observed to do anything in the Avay 
of lightening her labors. 
As against this preponderance of 
negative testimony, and in corrobora¬ 
tion of Mr. LoAvell’s and Mrs. Treat’s 
circumstantial narratives, there re¬ 
main to be mentioned the fact com¬ 
municated to me by Mr. Hoar, that a 
toAvnsman of his had at different times 
had tAvo hummers’ nests in his grounds, 
the male OAvners of which Avere con¬ 
stant in their attentions, and the fol- 
loAving very interesting and surprising 
story received from Mr. C. C. Darwin, 
of Washington, through the kindness 
of Mr. HenshaAv. Some years ago, as 
it appears, a pair of ruby-throats built 
a nest Avithin a feAV feet of Mr. Dar- 
Avin’s AvindoAv and a little below it, so 
that they could be Avatched without 
fear of disturbing them. He remem- 
bers perfectly that the male fed the 
female during the entire period of 
incubation, “pumping the food doAvn 
her throat.” All this time, so far as 
could be discovered, the mother did not 
once leave the nest (in Avonderful con¬ 
trast with my bird of a year ago), and 
of course the father Avas never seen to 
take her place. Mr. Darwin cannot say 
that the male ever fed the young ones, 
but is positive that he Avas frequently 
about the nest after they Avere hatched. 
While they were still too young to 
fly, a gardener, in pruning the tree, 
sawed off the limb on which the nest 
was built. Mr. Darwin’s mother res¬ 
cued the little ones and fed them with 
SAveetened Avater, and on her son’s re¬ 
turn at night the branch Avas fixed in 
place again, as best it could be, by 
means of Avires. Meairwhile the old 
birds had disappeared, having given 
up their children for lost; and it Avas 
not until the third day that they came 
back, —by chance, perhaps, or out of 
affection for the spot. At once they 
resumed the care. of their offspring, 
Avho by this time, it is safe to say, had 
become more or less surfeited with su¬ 
gar and Avater, and gladly returned to 
a diet of spiders and other such spicy 
and hearty comestibles. 
Mr. HenshaAv, with an eA T ident sat¬ 
isfaction which does him honor, re¬ 
marks upon the foregoing story as prov¬ 
ing that, whatever may be true of male 
hummers in general, there are at least 
some faithful Benedicts among them. 
For myself, indeed, as I have already 
said, I hold no brief against the ruby- 
throat, and, notwithstanding the seem¬ 
ingly unfavorable result of my inves¬ 
tigation into his habits as a husband 
and father, it is by no means clear to 
me that Ave must call him hard names. 
Before doing that, Ave ought to knoAv 
not only that he stays away from his 
wife and children, but why lie stays 
aAvay; whether he is really a shirk, or 
absents himself unselfishly and for their 
better protection, at the risk of being 
misunderstood and traduced. My ob¬ 
ject in this paper is to raise that ques¬ 
tion about him, rather than to blacken 
his character; in a word, to call atten- 
