The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-04-18
RUNNING BIRDS.
Exquisite Little Birds Found Only on the
American Continent.

RUNNING BIRDS.
Exquisite Little Birds Found Only on the
American Continent.
The wonderful little humming- birds
arc only found in America aud the ad-
jncent islands. where they take tho
place of the sun-birds of the Old World.
1t is rather remarkable that as yet no
humming-birds have been discovered in
any other continent. The name of
humming-bird is given to them on ac-
count Of the humming and buzzing
sound which they produce with their
wings, especially while they are hover
ing in their curious fashion over a
tempting blossom and feeding ON its
contents of nectar and insects, while
suspended in the air. This name is so
appropriate that it holds good in other
languages, and expressive titles have
been given to these birds which are
either descriptive of the sound or an en-
deayor to initiate it. So characteristic
is this humming sound that it is not
precisely the same in any two species,
and in many instances is SO very de-
cided in its tone that a practiced and
observant ear can often detect the
species of humming- bird by the sound
which it produces in its flight
The "black-capped' humming-bird
produces noise exactly like the whiz-
sing Of wheel driven by machinery.
while that of another species is very
like the droning hum of large bee.
The number of species of these birds is
truly wonderful, as more than 800 are
known and have been described, while
new species are being continually dis
covered.
1t is evident to any one who has ex-
amined these exquisite little birds,
studied the inexhaustible variety of
form and color which they exhibit, that
many forms are yet wanting as links
needed to complete the chain OF species,
and that in all probability there are in
existence humming- birds which possess
forms quite strange and colors quite as
glowing as any of those which have
found place in our collections
The legs of these birds are remark
ably weak and delicate, and the wings
are proportionately strong, combna-
ton which shows that the creatures are
intended to pass more of their time in
the air than on foot. Even when feed
ing they very seldom trouble themselves
to perch, but suspend themselves in the
afr before the flower on which they de-
sire to operate, and which their long,
slender tongues are able to feed upon at
ease without alighting. In the skeleton,
especially in the shape Of the breast
bone and wings, as well as in the CON-
parative small size of the feet, hum
ming birds bear some analogy to the
swifts, and like these birds, never lay
more than two eggs. The fight of these
birds is inconceivably rapid; SO rapid,
indeed, that the eye can not follow the
bird when it puts forth in full speed;
and with such wonderful rapidity do the
little sharp cut wings beat the air, that
their form is quite lost. aud while the
bird is lowering over a single spot, the
wings look like two filmy gray fans, at
tached to the sides. While darling from
one flower to another the bird can
hardly be seen at all, and it seems to
come suddenly into existence at some
spot, and as suddenly to vanish from
sight.
Some humming-birds are fond of tow
ering to great height in the air, and
descending from thence to their nests or
to feed, while Others keep near the
ground, and are seldom seen at an ele-
walton of many yards The food of the
humming- bird is much the same as that
of the honey-suckers, excspt, perhaps,
that they consume more honey and
fewer flies. Still, they are extremely
fond of small insects, aad kept away in
captivity from this kind of diet soon
pine away, in spite of unlimited supply
Of syrup and other sweet food. The
tongue is very curious structure, be-
ing extremely long, filamentous, and
double nearly to its base At the throat
it is taken up by that curious, forked,
bony structure called the "hyoid bone, :"
the forks of which are enormously
elongated, and passing under the throat
and round the head, are terminated
upon the forehead. By means of this
structure the humming- bird is enabled
TO project and to probe the Utmost re-
cesses of the largest flowers. If cut
transversely the fiaments of the tongue
look as if they have been made of fiat,
horny parchment, and partially rolled
up. The sense of taste OF touch, or
both, must be extremely delicate, for
when they are feeding they can not by
any possibility see into the flowers
which they are ransacking, and are per-
force obliged to trust implicitly to the
tongue. The common woodpecker has
very similar tongue, and employs il
in a very similar manner o. Times
Democrat.