Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-10-06
HuInming Birds.

A glowing circle of balm in flower Is q
great center of attraction for the humming
oiras' which come here from early morning,
and go westward and return again, at fire.
quent intervals. until after nightfall. ]
hardly get seated at my open window be-
fore l hear a buzzing, almost thuddIng
sound, as if boy were at hand with a
TIN wheel on a string, which he pulls SO as
TO make the wheel swiftly revolve. But a
close look reveals much more animated
mechanism than that There is nothing
calntler or prettier to be seen than the
color, motions and enthusiasm of the hum
ming bird when he is taking his repast. A
little glossy, throbbing piece OF yivacity,
sitting on the air with his feet curled
tightly up, and buoyant as feather, mov-
ing at his sweet fleet will from one tubu-
lar flower to another, and his lIduid eve
shining afar. Waves of shifting blue
sweep over the glossy green black, in each
angle OF the sunlight, giving the effect of
suddenly transformed drapery, and when
ne turns TO you in front, his red gorget. or
throat-piece, glistens with The redness OF the
f1ame-like flower he salutes. His motion
Is 50 SURPRISING swift l can think OF no
winged motion like it. The bees would be
put out of breath to keep up with him.
The female bird of this specie (trochilus
colubris)-th ruby throaled dispanses
with the red necherchief, and it is said the
young birds do not have it. In the autumn
the males in the young brood get touch of
of red color, but it Is no; until the follow
ing spring that the throat has its utmost
hrllllapPU Raaaptlx- g ,l,
family dropped down upon the little balm
patch, and | saw that the female was a
much more demure and less aggressive
character than her gay lord. In size she
is trife smaller. The wings of both,
when used to buoy them up, seem more
Ike fine mist or vapor than like any
fabric; gauze is not, and woven spider
web would not, be half so aerial
If you watch these birds long you will
occa -ionally see them anght, when they
almost always choose dry twig, or one
not thick with leaves, for their temporary
pedestal. When one sits thus for a mo-
ment-it is never long-you will see him
wipe his bill on both sides against the twig
branch two or three times, as if he wished
TO be relieved of the protruding honey, af-
lSi WHICH CeIeulOul ne Will slrihe as ul-
rect line as possible for his nest. Both
took a seat recently on a little bush which
pushes nearly into my window a distance
of not over three or four feet, respectively
from my disengaged hand; but | directed
no motion toward them more violent Than
the glance of my eye, which they bore for
the usual space without flinching, and then
took flight. The diet of the humming bird
is composed of insects and honey inciden-
tally, and they do the flowers a service III
removing them. Audubon says their de
ightfully murmuring sound. as they are
poised above the flowers, lis well adapted
for lulling the insect to repose." The
humming bird has a long, delicate bill, and
its protrudIng, double-tuoed tongue Is COW
erned with ''glutnouS saliva" by which
ii overwhelms each insect it touches and
draws it out ito be instantly swallowed" "
1t is bird of the Western hemisphere and
800 species have been discovered (some
say 400, which latter number is only 100
less than all other species of birds pat to-
gether