DHE WAU DU'B'O'N ) BrUsicglite ae 
A Date to Remember: 
The Hummingbird With a Broken Jaw 
by MRS. CHARLES LEHMAN 
It was on June 2, 1963, that we experienced one of the most 
memorable events in our many years of bird-watching. We 
were preparing to go to the city, some 65 miles from our 
house in the country, and we planned to stay overnight. 
Feeding stations had been filled with seed and suet, and my 
husband had turned the hose on and was filling the bird 
baths so our friends would not lack for food and drink in 
our absence. 
As frequently happens, a hummingbird flew through 
the spray, but this one landed at my husband’s feet, and 
remained there quietly and with no noticeable movement. 
Thinking it was perhaps stunned or injured, my husband 
gently picked it up and brought it in the house. Upon ex- 
amination we found it had a broken lower mandible, and its 
tiny hair-thin tongue hung limply like a piece of wet thread. 
While we discussed what we could possibly do to help this 
tiny friend, it lay quietly in my husband’s grasp, but we 
were both fearful lest he might hold it too tightly or injure 
it somehow just by keeping it immobile. 
Finally we decided to release it outside while we en- 
deavored to contact other birding friends to obtain the name 
of a wild bird hospital or sanctuary in a nearby town. A 
neighbor and bird-watcher of long standing was able to 
supply the phone number of the hospital and we called 
immediately. Their remedy was simple, and to us quite 
surprising. We wondered how we could ever carry it out, 
but we knew we had to try, even if we missed our train 
to the city! 
