The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-10-20
TAMED HUMMIN0 BIRDS
some Strange Pets That Fig About
a California Rawa.

kAAaaeaa, (Cal.) author whose back. !
yaro 10 small orange grove filled IN
WIN pines, bananas and q wealth a
roses that a humminK bird. ana
very beautiful one at that. could he a |
nuisance; nevertheless It ia fact |
tnougn perhaps am stretching q poinf I
gorgeous little fellow with a breast. /
p4ate OF rose bronze and a voice like \
odlilope-that rs, for humming bird /
anu MS mate built their nest one yeal /
III the orange tree over on the drive I
50 near the ground that l could easily .
LOOK into It, In it were two of the .
most looking objects that YOU /
ever looked upon. They reminded ms
OF DaDy tarantulas more than anvthins /
else, though don't know that l ever
saw one. l watched the Youngsters
Tor days, and finally began expert. /
menting with them to see what thew
would eat. Sugar and water seemed
TO be the favorite tipple, and | kept
q little vial of it in the tree and fed
tnem with straw. The little crea.
lures learned to know me, and the mo.
ment | appeared they opened their
enormous mouths and took the drop
OF nectar with great gusto. Every day
feathers, and l celebrated the opening
OF their eyes by giving them some min
ute MES or gnats. A few days later |
was surprised to find them sitting on
the edge OF the nest, side by side. They
We're taking a survey of the world, and
incidentally exercising their wings,
which they did IN a most interesting
fashion. They would rise a little. as
though on the tips Of their toes, their
wings vibrating so rapidly that you
could not see them; never sufficiently
to carry them ahead, but merely to
lift them few inches.
They were so completely tame that
l decided to adopt them So | cut
off the branch and removed them to
my study, fastening the nest in the
window, and then began an associa-
ton that was extremely pleasant. The
day following the birds began to fly
and follow me about the room. and
when tired they would alight on nay
head or my finger if l held it out.
They were absolutely without fear.
They soon flew about the house freely;
would suspend themselves in midair
and feed from the hand and allow
themselves to be carried about on
finger. They left the nest in a few
days and would follow me everywhere,
upstairs and down. At night they had
small basket in which to sleep, and
they roasted on its edge in a dark
closet with great contentment They
never attempted to put their heads be-
meath their wings after the fashion Of
birds in general, for the very good
reasons-the wings were SC small and
the head so large They were early ris-
ers, and were out of the closet by or
shortly after daylight, and awoke ms
by the very simple method of lowering
over my face within a few inches of my
nose and tanning me with the constant
beating of their wings, the loud hum
ming sometimes bringing me out OF
the deepest slumber. This accom-.
plished they darted over me, their
black beadlike eyes sparkling, uttering
faint cry or note. If | pretended
that | did not see them this was re-
peated until did awake; then l would
reach over to the table which stood at
the head of the bed. take the vial OF
nectar, and feed them with small
drops, the two birds lowering in the
air, their long tongues projecting
through the liquid so rapidly that they
could not be followed. Then, when
tired, they would rest on my finger
and gaze at me in a contemplative
fashion, as much as to say, Well, what
do you think of it?'
81 have never had pets so thoroughly
charming. They would fly humming
about the roses in the house, now hid
ing in the great red petals of the Paul
or in hn1I pa1i AZ
against the delicate pink of a Captain
Christie Visitors and friends were
often startled, as the birds were so
tame that they did not discriminate
and would dart at lady's bonnet, es-
pecially If it bore resemblance to &
flower garden, to the wearer's amaze
ment. Sometimes the hummers would
fly upstairs into an east room. and one
morning several days after they hao
been brought into the house | found
an affectionate family reunion in this
room. The windows were open but
protected by screens, and on the in
side of one the young birds were
clinging, while upon the outside how
cred the parent birds. The old hum
mers kept up a continual noise and
made a vigorous protest; so vigorous
indeed, that | was tempted to release
one of the birds as sort of peace of
fering. One made its escape a week
or so later through q window acciden-
tally left open. The other pet was
kept for some months, thoroughly
proving that of all birds the minute
hummer is the easiest tanned and the
most tractable. | have little doubt
that they could be trained to perform
various tricks. as the most striking
feature about them is the complete con.
fidence they display to those who come
in contact with them.
about this time the hummer that
call the father took up his residence
in my orange tree There he is now;
see the little dead branch? Don't you
catch the CLEAN of roseate bronze on
his breastplate?"
The visitor presently made out
the bird perched on the limb, and the
next moment heard his voice crying.
acknowledgement" with a Kissing
sound, continually repeated, and so
loud that it could be distinctly heard
forty or fifty feet away.
"That is the sound" said the author,
chat he keeps up morning, noon and
night, and it sometimes strikes my
nerves the wrong way simply by its
monotony. AS you see, my door and
window are always open, so that the
California air and the odor of the Or
ange blossoms and the roses can drift
In.
me Biggest E'1ow.
The ordinary farmer would hardly
rerogn,Ze as a plOugh a giant ma