8§ THE NATURAL HISTORY 
They fly like butterflies from flower to flower, 
and with their little tengues (which are like a 
tube or pipe, and forked at the end) they fuck 
the honey, and that is what they live upon, 
Their nefts are very curious. ‘They, generally 
hang from the end of a branch of an orange or of. 
a citron-tree. THe hen’ bird is bufy in building 
it, whilft the cock goes to fetch cotton, and iat 
and the fineft grafs. It is about as large as half 
an apricot, and warmly lined with cotton; the 
outfide is the bark of gum-trees glued together, 
They lay two little eggs about the fize of peas, 
and the cock and hen fit by turns; but the hen, 
only leaves the eggs a little while in the morning, 
to get. fome honey when the dew is on the flowers,- 
The little ones are hatched in twelve days, and at 
firft are no larger than a great blue fly. 
_ There was a gentleman in America who found. 
_ anett of little Humming Birds (or Colibris) ina 
fhed, near his houfe: he put them into a Cages, 
and placed it in his chamber window. The old 
birds came to feed them every hour in the day; 
and they foon became fo tame, as to live from, 
choice almoft conftantly in the room with their 
young ones. 
They frequently came and fettled upon his 
hand, and he fed them with wine and bifcuit.and 
fugare 
