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ture in flowers. but. many speeies eateh insects on the wing or pit-k them from beneath leaves. 'l‘hey also feed on the juiees of flowers. All the species whose nesting: habits are known lay two white eggs.

Strangely enough. these beautiful little creatures are possessed of a. most unfortunate disposition which frequently leads them to attack any bird they fancy is trespassing on their domain. They know no fear. and with equal courage rush at one of their kind or a passing Hawk.

428. Trochilus colubris tL/mm. 1il’ISY-'1‘I[RU.\TI~IIt llt'MMINGBIRD. (See Fig. 4th) til 5.7 l‘pper parts bright. shining green; wings and tail fuseous, with purplish retleetions; throat beautiful metallic ruby-red, bor— dered on the breast by whitish : rest of the under parts dusky, washed with greenish on the sides. .l«/. 9 .——Similar, but without ruby—red on the throat. Im.—oSimilar to the female, but with the upper parts more bronzy. L., 3'74; \\"..1‘54; ’1'.. 1'13; 1%., HT.

[fang/aAliastt-rn North America; breeds from Florida to Labrador; win— ters from southern Florida to Central Ameriea.

Washington. common 5. {u .\pl. 25‘ to Sept. Sing Sing. eonnnon S. R, Apl. 30 to Net. :3. (‘ambridgeV uneommon S. 1.. May 1: to Sept.

' Nest. of plant dowiL eovered externally with liehens and firmly wound with almost invisible plant fibers; generally fifteen to twenty—tire feet from

the ground, saddled on a limb. [fir/(Is. two, white, ‘50 x 3').

The Ruby-throat needs no song. Its beauty gives it distinction, and its wings make music. Its only note, so far as I know, is a squeak, expressive of distrust or excitement. It has no rival in eastern North America. and is to be confounded with nothing but sphinx (hum- mingbird) moths. One hears of “Hummingbirds " seen in the evening about. HOWUI‘ beds. The mistake is not unnatur:l. and a eorreetion is sometimes received with ineredulity. The birds spend but a cout— pa ‘atively small part of the time upon the win”. Whoever watches a female busy about her nest will see her constantly perehing here and there in certain h 'anehes of the tree, preening her plumage and look— ing about her. The male. at the same season. forgetful. to all appear- ance, of his eonjugal and parental duties. may be found at home day after day on a dead twig,r in some tall tree. where he, sits so constantly as to make the observer wonder what he Catt be, about. and when, if ever, he takes his food. Further investigatimi. however. will show that. he makes frequent. and regular rounds of favorite feeding places. A tall blueberry bush, for example. will be. visited at short intervals as long,r as the observer has patienee to stand beside it. The Hunt- mingbird is curiously fearless. Sometimes one will probe a flower held in the hand. and when they fly into houses, as they pretty often do.they manifest but the smallest degree of suspicion, and will feed

almost at once upon sugar held between the lips, The old bird feeds 17