Litchfield enquirer., 1857-05-07
Eumming Birds. (Troehilus.)

l have found it difficult to convey an idea
Of the beautiful Birds Of Paradise and now
I come to those exquisite and tiny creatures,
words seem to be still more inadequate to ex,
press their elegant forms and proportions, the
dazzling lustre Of their plumage, or the variety
of their decorations. The feathers of the wings
| are stiff, and are in state of incessant vibra-
ton causing the noise from which they derive
| their name. Their fight resembles that of in
sects and their young, when first Matched,
are not larger than blue bottle f:es. 1t is
chiefly on their heads, breasts and bodies, that
the metallic and jeweed splendor lavished up
On them exists, sometimes in patches, others
in aigrettes then again in dadcms, and some
have their legs encircled with the finest black,
white or fawn colored down, from which peep
their feet, and which it is supposed, i: a pro-
vision against the cold, for some inhabit the
elevated neigborhood of the Andes They
have long, narrow wings, which give them
great power of flight; they never rest on the
ground, and they have long tongues, which
they dart forth with great rapidity to catch
the minute insects which form the larger Dor
ton of their food They are all natives of the
New World, are very fearless of man. but they
cannot bear confinement they migrate to diff
terent parts OF the same continent, and mount
as high as $4,000 feet up the Andes. It has
been often said that the small animals of all
kinds, not excepting unfeathcred bipeds, have
strong fighting and quarrelng propensities
and the saying is certainly verified by Hum
ming Birds. None exceed them in their COM
bative habits. They get into rage with
each other on the smallest provocation, and
fight with a determination and perseverance,
which often proves fatal to one party.
Mr.. Gosse describes two Mango Hummng
Birds in nearly the following words A
Mango HummingBird had every day, and all
day, been paying his devors to the charming
blossoms of the Malay Apple, when another
came. They chased each other through the
labyrinth of twigs and flowers, till one would
dart with seeming fury upon the other and
then with loud rustIing Of the wings they
would twrl together, round and round, until
they came to earth. At length an encounter
took place near me, aud perceived that the
beak OF one graspcd the bcak of the other,
and thus fastened, both whrled round ano
round in their perpendicular descent, the point
CT contact being the centre Of the gyra tons j:
till, when another second would have brought
them both to the ground, they separated, and
one chased the other for above q hundred
yards and then returned in triumph to the
tree, whore, perchcd Oh lofty twg he clrpcd
monotonouSly and pertinacously for some time.
In a few minutes, however the banished
one returned, and began chipping no less pro-
vokingly, which soon brought on another chase
and another tusscl. ] am persuaded that
these were hostile encounters, for one seemed
evidently afraid of the other, fleeing when the
other pursued, though his intomtablc spirit
would prompt the chirp ofd"fance and when
resting after battle, | noticed that this one
held his beuk open as if painting Sometimes
they would suspend hosti!ites to seek Il few
blossoms but mutual proximity was sure
to bring them Oh again. a tile Banana Quit
that was peep;ng among the blossoms in his
own quiet way, seemed now and then to look
with surprise Oh the combatants but when
the one had driven his rival to longer dis
lance than usual the victor set upon the un-
offending Quit, who soon yielded the point, and
retired, humby enough, to ncghboring tree.
| suppose | have sometimes seen not less
than u hundred come successfully to rifle the
blossoms within the space Of fifty yards. But
they are in no respect gregarious; though three
or four may he at one moment lowering
around the blossoms Of the same branch, there
is no association.
We often found the curiosity of these little
birds stronger than their fear Oh holding up
the net near one, they frequently would not
fly away but come and hover over the mouth.
stretching ont their neck to peep in, so that we
| could capture them with little difficulty. OF
| ten, too, one when struck at unsuccessfully
would return and suspend itself in he air Just
above our heads, or peep into our faces, with
unconquerable familiarity. Yet it was difficult
to bring these sweet birds, so easily captured
home they were usually dead or dying when
we arrived at the house, though not wounded
or struck :; and those that did arrive in appar.
ent health, usually died the next day. AT my
| first attempt, transferred such as succeeded
in bringing alive, to cages, Immediately on
their arrival at the house. and although they
did not beat themselves, they soon sank under
confinement. Suddenly they would fail to the
floor of the cage, and lie motioness with closed
eyes. If taken in the hand, they would per-
haps seem to revive for few moments then
throw back the pretty head, or toss it to and
fro, as if in great suffering expand the wings
open the eyes, slightly puff up the feathers Of
tho breast, and die usually without any con
vusive struggle
| Mr.. Gosse brought some very young ones
not fully fledged, to his house, and turned then
into an open room, carefully securing the doors
! and windows. He fed them with flowers, es
pecially the asdepeias curassarica. He Their
put some pieces Of sugar cane iuto bottle
introduced quill through the cork, covered
the cork with flower, and the bird eagerly
sucked up the juice soon he sucked out o.
the bare quill, and by such means Mr. Gosse
succeeded in keeping Humming Birds long
i time. The boldest Of them was rather pugna.
| cions' attacking his gentler companion, who
yielded and fled. Then he, assuming courage
played the tyrant in his turn, actually prevent
ing the former from slipping out of the sweeten
ed cup.