The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-06-18
!" son-a,au nar lattbe na,ru. ,


ipvinciblc-for both birds came with.
out hesitation and settled upon the
ruin tho one which took the long
and eager draught as if perishing Of
fatigue and hunger, proved to be the
female that had just arrived. 1t was
q little larger than the male, and
seemed at first somewhat shyer than
he though few days were sufficient
to make all right as ever between us
again. How wondrous strange and
incomprchensiblc it seemed to US
the acutcncss Of scnscs--thc strength
OF memory and affection--thc, weird
sagacity, in word--.-t that could have
brought these tiny creatures back to
us, from so many thousand miles
away, straight as the arrow from the
bow. l have never ceased wondering
at that strange incident----but thcre is
one yet quite as droll to come. The
love season had now fully commenced
and our birds began to be absent for
several hours together, and we OBJ
served that at these times they dartcd
straight up into the air until they
were out Of sight before they took
their course, SO that watch as ire
Nigh. We never could find out which
way they went. They also adopted
the same prccaution i'll returning,
when they seemed to fall pcrpcndicu.
larly from the clouds. They did not
appear any less tame for all this.---but,
though tried in every possible way
to find out their secret, yet they cn-
tircly bafflcd me, and I am not sure
that [ ever saw their brood eycn-
though about the time wncn they
ought to have been out we used to
notice more birds than we could we'll
account Tor around the white cup in
the cage; yet, as those strangers ap.
pearcd to be somewhat shy,3wc did
not press an acquaintance. It was
nothing more than conjecture on our
part that thrs ere tAo a6W hroeii
VI oJr pots
So, ., S{ 's,s> s,ss.> ..t., S.
= sc liad 1# 10 .,.s .,..Ss
ia,Dv-throats aHdad to o3.
.;-n this Spring, ana IL rir;"Sa . 4e-
,l'. Of t!.c maMrgi IL n.,r! wen. -
,,ork FOR the apcom,Ii5h :At ct this
vrw [ ~la'( f'unish vou -a.no l.a uf
The tealous prcctssla ., The ,.ac,icai
naturalist. My father had some men
at work ''gctting out logs"-as it is
callcl-on a considerable creek some
two miles off. One Of them, who
knew ofmy passion for these birds,
mentioned to me, that hc had twice,
while watering his horse at certain
crossing in the woods, observed a
llumming Bird fly past over the mid
die Of the channel and up the
stream. This, he said, was about
five o'clock, both times. This was
enough for me. I ordered my horse
and III few moments was under
whip and spur--fo: it vas nearly
| that time now-ior this little ford. |
reached it few minutes before five by
bride path. I sat upon my horse
until dusk i'll the middle ofthc stream,
but no Humminghir Next day l
came at noon staid an hour with no
avail. | went at four sgain and
staid until halt.past FIVE, bit still no
bird. was not discouraged, but as
| rode slowly home, determined to
change my tactics next day, for re-
u.cmbcrcd that my impatient horse
had been paving in the water all the
time, and this, no doubt, had alarm.
cd the cautious birds, and caused
them to change their usual course.
Next day | chose my position under
some thick oycrlanglng trees, where
| could see and not be seen. | did
not sec them on the moming watch.
In the afternoon, precisely at five,
the male came b., and | had the sat.
isiaction Of seeing that i was a Ruby,
throat. judged from the height at
| which it flew that the nest was not
very far OFF. Wei, to make long
story short, came the next day and
took my station a hundred and fifty
yards farther up the stream-saw
them both PASS at fire, flying, |
thought, Just little lower; The mex,
| cycuinr | moved siill farihor mn with