Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-11-17

known, they invariably die within few
weeks. They are very inquisitve. One
OF them will sometimes approach like
flash and poise itself directly in front of
ones face. its wings vibrating SO rapidly
as to appear as a mere haze on each
side of $ body, which itself remains SO
stationary that the inQuring expression
of its bright black eyes and the outline
of nearly every feather of its compact
little figure can be seen. But the
slightest demonstration causes it to
vanish so swiftly that the eye can
scarcely trace the line of it's flight. In
sleeping, humming- birds frequently sus-
pend themselves by the feet, with their
heads downward, in the manner of some
parrots.
Thei. Food.
In feeding from flower to flower the
humming birds, besides obtaining nour-
ishment for themselves, perform in the
economy of nature the same office as
insects, by transferring pollen from one
blossom to another, and thus assisting
in the fertilization of the plants. Prof.
Robert Ridgway, the distinguished orni-
biologist and author of the monograph
quoted, states that these creatures do
not feed exclusively on nectar obtained
from flowers, as is popularity supposed.
Insects furnish large part of their diet,
and their crops and stomachs are COM
monty found to be filed with beetles,
bees, ants and spiders. They rob spi-
ders webs of the insects which those
crafty arachnids have captured in their
snares SO industriously spread. 1t is
very interesting to watch them in the
performance OF this thievery, which
they are obliged to conduct with great
skill and carefulness, inasmuch as they
themselves run a risk Of getting caught
in the webs, and the larger spiders
boldly defend their homes against such
intrusion. The bird will actually enter
the labyrinths of the web in search of
entangled flies, where sometimes there
is scarcely room for his little wings to
perform their office, and the least devil
alton would entangle him in the COM
pick intricacies of ropes and gnys. On
the approach Of the angry owner, the
robber shoots off like a sunbeam.
1T used to be supposed that the brill
liant hues Of humming- birds were due
to pigments, but it is now known that
they are attributable to the structure Of
the feathers. Each feather, when nil
nutely inspected, exhibits myriads of lit
tie facets SO disposed as to present so
many angles to the incidence! of light,
winch is tnuS Ql1Iracteu OF broken up
into vivid rainbow tints. In most
species the gorgeous coloration is pecu-
liar to the males, the females being, as
a rule, devoid of rcfulgent hues and or
namental plumes. In only one species,
found in jamaica, is the female more
beautiful than the male. The colors are
variously distributed in different species.
Some, instead of having luminous
throats, have the halo of radiance trans
ferred to their crowns, which are blue,
violet, red or green. Frequently there
is a spot Of glittering emerald green on
the forehead. B no description in
words can give a notion OF the vivid
beauties of the humming- bird which
fits from flower to flower
While richest roses, though in crimson dressed
Shrink from the splendor OF his gorgeous
breast,
What heavenly tints in 1ninglng radiance fly;
Each rapid movement brings different dye;
Like scales of FURNISHED gold they dazzling
show
Now sink to shade, now like q furnace glow.
Nature, having provided the hum
ming birds with such brilliant plumage.
did not give them voice for song, and
the notes they utter amount to nothing
more than warbling twitter, which the
males produce during the pairing sea-