The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-09-09
HUM MING BIRDS.
Pretty Little Workers and Their Peculiar
Ways.


Ways.
We saw one in the garden yesterday
Just as the sun went down-a tiny fell
low with a green back and bright
sc arlet throat. He didn't seem to be
afraid of us, though Alice stretched
out her fat hands toward him and Har-
~ heralded his approach with all the
power of his yearling lungs And he
did not allow the enthusiastic reception
he met with to keep him one moment
from his business, but proceeded 90
gather his supper from bed of petu-
Mas near us. Naturalists say that hum
ming birds do not visit the flowers on the
same errand that bees do, but that il is
bugs they are after-bugs that are hid
den in the flowers. Now, / used to
think that they were after honey, and,
between you and me, believe so yet,
naturalists to the contrary notwith-
standing-it is so hard to believe that
those dear little things can eat bugs
when honey is so much nicer.
"For us, maybe. the wise ones will
say. but it is bird nature to eat bugs
and why not humming birds nature
too?''
All! Well, how did you find out for
certain without opening themp And any
one that can deliberately kill such a
tiny, helpless, innocent little thing just
to find out what he had for supper is
not to be relied on.
Well, by and by he satisfied his hun
ger and alighted on a branch of dead
crab apple bush that had set down for
my cypress vine to climb up ON. l like
to see everything as natural as posi-
bic, and a cypress vine is so delicate
and graceful that cannot bear to see
it trained to frame.
Well, Mr.. Humming Bird alighted
there to rest his little wings. I suppose,
for he folded them quietly, but turned
his mite of head from side to side IN
til his scarlet throat glowed like coal
of fire. He sat there awhile TO the chill
dren's great delight, then made another
flying visit to the flowers, boring his
queer, long bill away down into the
cups and then twisting it round like an
anger suppose that he was gathering
something for his wife and babies this
time, for he flew away directly.
watched his little body out of sight,
and then fell to wondering where he
lived, how he lived and what leaf shell
tered his fairy nest.
Pretty soon there was another buzz
and fiutter, and another flying visitor
came in sight-a small Quaker, this
time clothed in brown and gray. did
not ask her name, but used my Yankee
prerogative and guessed that it was
Mrs. Humming Bird. I guessed, too,
that Mr.. II. had told her where was a
good place to rest. for she perched her.
self upon the very limb that he had
rested on. Even her light weight set
the cypress all in culver as she sat
making her toilet before her meal. Mr..
Humming Bird must have carried her a
mouthful of something when he went
home, for the supper did not seem SO
much of an object as the fresh air. She
sat there long time, the children keep
ening her away.
wondered where her home was and
whether Mr.. Humming Bird made a
good housekeeper when she was away.
I wondered if she wouldn't get lost
sometimes and not be able to find her
nest--it must be such very tiny nest.
wondered how the great world looked
to her, seeing as she did with such lit
tie bits of eyes.
And those birdies-what queer little
things they must bel What tiny things,
to be fed from such little bill!
Well, she is at work again, fitting
from flower to flower, and it doesn't
seem as if she staid long enough at any
one of them to 10 any good. But she
does. There are little ones at home to
be fed. The idea never comes into her
mite of head that she is out Of her
proper sphere" tending her babies.
Buzz! Whir! She is gone. Where? /
would give much to know. But there
is no hope of that. have not time to
hunt her up and watch the bird Eat
home" But read once of gentleman
who did. 1t took hours Of patient search
to find the unfinished nest, and after
that hours more to watch her finish it
up with the small tools at her command
her tiny breast and long, slender bill.
It was made Of cotton, fine moss and
spider web, covered outside with lichens,
and overhung stream of water.
ANNIE OSRORNE