TWENTY-SIX COMMON BIRDS. 
9 
part of their life on the wing, but unlike the swallows, they are not 
'seen to rest on wires or fences; at night they support themselves 
in chimneys or hollow trees, while by day they are continually in 
the air, where they pursue with astonishing dexterity the insects 
which constitute their food. The tail feathers of the Swift end in 
spiny points, and assist it in climbing, while the feet are so 
small and weak that the Swift is almost incapable of perching or 
walking. The sexes are alike. The note is an emphatic chip , 
either slowly or rapidly repeated. The Swifts may be distinguished 
from any swallow by their peculiar flight, and from the absence of 
the forked tail. This when closed appears cigar-shaped, but when 
the bird turns it is spread like a fan. The Swift winters outside 
the United States returning to New England early in May. 
RUBY-THROATED HUMMING BIRD* 9. 
[trochilus colubris.] 
Humming Birds are confined to the New World, in the tropi¬ 
cal portions of which they are extremely numerous. In the Eastern 
United States there occurs only one species, the one figured in the 
chart. The belief that there are more than one species, is due to 
confusion arising from the differences in the sexes. The female 
lacks the ruby throat. Humming Birds reach New England early 
in May and leave in September, wintering outside the limits of our 
country. The apparent frailty of this bird, the metallic lustre of 
its colors, its silence and rapid flight, distinguish it from all other 
birds. A sight of its nest is a rare treat. The daintiest material 
is used in its construction and great skill shown in concealing the 
structure from observation. The nest is cup-shaped, but not more 
than half an inch deep, and composed of down and fern, so coated 
with gray lichens, that it closely resembles the branch on which it 
is saddled. Two eggs are laid, pure white in color and half an 
inch long. The female feeds the young by thrusting her bill into 
that of the young birds, and forcing the food, which she has con¬ 
verted into a liquid state, into their stomachs. The process has 
