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T H E RUBY-THROATED HUMMING BIRD.
TROCHILUS COLUBRIS, LINN.
P L A T E X L V I I . MALE, FEMALE, AND YOUNG.
WHERE is the person who, on seeing this lovely little creature moving
on humming winglets through the air, suspended as if by magic in
it, flitting from one flower to another, with motions as graceful as they
are light and airy, pursuing its course over our extensive continent, and
yielding new delights wherever it is seen;—where is the person, I ask
of you, kind reader, who, on observing this glittering fragment of the
rainbow, would not pause, admire, and instantly turn his mind with reverence
toward the Almighty Creator, the wonders of whose hand we at
every step discover, and of whose sublime conceptions we everywhere observe
the manifestations in his admirable system of creation ?—There
breathes not such a person ; so kindly have we all been blessed with that
intuitive and noble feeling—admiration !
No sooner has the returning sun again introduced the vernal season,
and caused millions of plants to expand their leaves and blossoms to his
genial beams, than the little Humming Bird is seen advancing on fairy
wings, carefully visiting every opening flower-cup, and, like a curious
florist, removing from each the injurious insects that otherwise would ere
long cause their beauteous petals to droop and decay. Poised in the air,
it is observed peeping cautiously, and with sparkling eye, into their innermost
recesses, whilst the etherial motions of its pinions, so rapid and so
light, appear to fan and cool the flower, without injuring its fragile texture,
and produce a delightful murmuring sound, well adapted for lulling
the insects to repose. Then is the moment for the Humming Bird to
secure them. Its long delicate bill enters the cup of the flower, and the
protruded double-tubed tongue, delicately sensible, and imbued with a
glutinous saliva, touches each insect in succession, and draws it from its
lurking place, to be instantly swallowed. All this is done in a moment,
and the bird, as it leaves the flower, sips so small a portion of its liquid
honey, that the theft, we may suppose, is looked upon with a grateful feeing
by the flower, which is thus kindly relieved from the attacks of her
destroyers.
The prairies, the fields, the orchards and gardens, nay, the deepest
RUBY-THROATED HUMMING BIRD. 249
shades of the forests, are all visited in their turn, and everywhere the little
bird meets with pleasure and with food. Its gorgeous throat in beauty
and brilliancy baffles all competition. Now it glows with a fiery hue,
and again it is changed to the deepest velvety black. The upper parts
of its delicate body are of resplendent changing green; and it throws itself
through the air with a swiftness and vivacity hardly conceivable. It
moves from one flower to another like a gleam of light, upwards, downwards,
to the right, and to the left. In this manner, it searches the extreme
northern portions of our country, following with great precaution
the advances of the season, and retreats with equal care at the approach
of autumn.
I wish it were in my power at this moment to impart to you, kind
reader, the pleasures which I have felt whilst watching the movements,
and viewing the manifestation of feelings displayed by a single pair of
these most favourite little creatures, when engaged in the demonstration
of their love to each other:—how the male swells his plumage and
throat, and, dancing on the wing, whirls around the delicate female ; how
quickly he dives towards a flower, and returns with a loaded bill, which
he offers to her to whom alone he feels desirous of being united ; how full
of ecstacy he seems to be when his caresses are kindly received; how his
little wings fan her, as they fan the flowers, and he transfers to her bill
the insect and the honey which he has procured with a view to please her;
how these attentions are received with apparent satisfaction ; how, soon
after, the blissful compact is sealed ; how, then, the courage and care of
the male are redoubled; how he even dares to give chase to the Tyrant
Fly-catcher, hurries the blue-Bird and the Martin to their boxes ; and how,
on sounding pinions, he joyously returns to the side of his lovely mate.
Reader, all these proofs of the sincerity, fidelity, and courage, with which
the male assures his mate of the care he will take of her while sitting on
her nest, may be seen, and have been seen, but cannot be portrayed or
described.
Could you, kind reader, cast a momentary glance on the nest of the
Humming Bird, and see, as I have seen, the newly-hatched pair of young,
little larger than humble-bees, naked, blind, and so feeble as scarcely
to be able to raise their little bill to receive food from the parents ; and
could you see those parents, full of anxiety and fear, passing and repassing
within a few inches of your face, alighting on a twig not more than a
yard from your body, waiting the result of your unwelcome visit in a