The new era., 1860-05-10
Written for the New Era.
Animal Instincts. 1.-The Euln-
mine Birds.

Probably no bird combines in itself
more that is interesting to contemplate
than the Humming Bird, VIXEN We con-
slider its remarkable beauty, dininut;ye
size, rapidity of flight, manner of taxi
ing food; its destitution of song, its shill
at architecture, its great courage, and
desperate fury when in passion.
This bird is congned to this continent
and the West Indies, and whilst many
hundred are enumerated, only four spe-
cies are found within the borders of the
United States cf these four, in this lat
itude we become conyersant with only
the Trochilus Colubyis, well known for
its beauty, gree color, and its red
throat
Go out upon a beautiful western land
scape, covered with frequent clumps OF
the Queen of the Prairie, or sl.irted
With copses thickly intersccted with hon-
ey suckles and the trumpet flower, and
you will ever and anon discover little
objects fitting between you and the Gun,
glistening like FURNISHED metal, exceed
ing in flight every other winged animal.
The fairy object takes a circuitous turn
and brings up before bunch of flowers.
and there remaining suspended upon its
wings, which you would net know 10 ex-
ist only for the constant hum, it darts
its little needle-like bill into the cup of
the flowers, extending its tongue beyond
the point Of the bill, slipping the nectar
inc substance, nntii every flower is
drained; then with It's little Jet black eye
taking glance at its next stopping
place, it darts offwith the speed of light
ming. We follow it from place to place,
until finally we discover it perched upon
a little dry twig. There it dresses it.
self and performs its toilet. AS we
drop near and take view we discover
the perfect outline of bird, but from
its diminutive size we are struck with
advertisement that with the object before
US, not larger thanthe little end ofnoth-
IN, whitfield Out, and not exceeding a
few grains in weight, there are conncc-
ted the means of almost constant flight;
capable Of uttering shrill, spite
ful notes plumage exceedingly beauti-
ful, and possessing persistent valor in
defence of its rights, only lequalled by
the tyrant fly catcher.
fone is sufficiently fortunate to dis
cover pair OF Humming Birds building
a nest, he will find the male busiIy en-
gagged in furnishing materials, whilst
the female performsl the architectural
part. The nest is constructed of the
most velvety substance derived from the
softest mosses, and the attenuated shreds
of the mullen ; and takes the form and
size of hens egg, divided transversely.
The eggs are of pure white set with a
few yellow spots. After undergoing
incubation of twelve days, there appear
in the nest two objects about the size
Of the blue bottle-fy'
1t is related that the Mexicans be-
lieye that the wife Of the God of War
conducted the souls of the warriors who
had died IN defeuce ofthe gods into the
mausiens Of the sun and transformed
them into hmming birds; and it must be
confessed'that these birds come the near
est to the NEUROLOGICAL notions which
the ancients entertained relative to the
Gods. The ancients represent the God,
sitting in their banquet hall, eating am
crosia and slipping nectar, and certainly
one would attach about as tangible