The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-01
Tame HumminS Birds.
From the Chicago Record.


OF all these humming- birds-some a Wv
Id green. Others with patch of brilliant
iridescent red beneath the bill-one.
named Bob, has fer five successive years
perched on the same twig of an orange
tree, and IS naturally the one l know bes
He never allows me to catch him, but |
have had Iny nand within six inches of
his little body. | have fencied that he =
perhaps the hummer once possessed aud
released. l found him one morning-ii,
indeed, ne - the same one-in nest in an
orange tree. about thirty feet from The
tree he now occupies--a strange object
looking more like fuzzy spider than a
bird, and tucked away in a nest made of
moss and the fine parts of seeds.
As l stood lo' king into il the little birds
heard me, and thrust up their open
mouths in a ce;nIcal fashion, and. think
ing them hungry, l got some sweetened
water and fed lem with it, using a small
twg for the pui pose. While / Vas doing
this the mother bird returned. and buzzed
around my IA g in a threatening manner
and when l withdrew she alighted and
covered them. sinking down gently upo'
them. In this way she was photograph
ed. and when on the nest would permit
me almost TO touch her without moving.
Every day ] fed the young birds with su-
gar and water. and finally they would hop
10 the rim of he nest when l app: cached,
never displaying the slightest evidence Of
fear.
They now began to take lessons in flying
The parent bird would sit on the nest or
on a twig near by, and use her wings
making the humming sound. but not ris-
ing; and this the little birds initiated,
clinging to the nest with their delicate
feet On the second day / noticed that
they rose into the air five or six inches
during this exercises, and, believing that
they would soon leave the nest. cut off
the twig which held 1t and carried 1t,
with its two occupants, into the house,
fastening it in the window. The follow
ing day the birds left the nest and begar
TO follow me about and at once became
the most beautiful of pets. They were alb
Soutely without fear, and constantly
darted about the room, searching for tiny
flies on the windows or In the flowers
Very soon when called they responded
and when a finger was extended alighted
upon It and with charming naivete. sitting
and cycling the persons with their tiny
beadlike eyes with perfect confidence.
Bob frequently came to the table at
meals, and would perch upon the sugar
bowl, clinging to the handle, down which
he slowly slid 10 flutter up again. To
describe all the actions and tricks OF these
beautiful creatures would require much
space, as nothing could exceed their grace
and vivacity. At night the humm ng-
birds retirel to dark closet, roosting on
the edge of basket. never attempting 70
thrust their big heads and long bills be-
meath the diminutice wings Here they
slept all night, and in early morning woulA
fly out into the room and awake me by
lowering in the air just over my face fan
ming it with their wonderful wings. Some
times 1 would pretend to sleep on. but tn
birds kept humming, with an occasiona
twitter, until l opened my eyes, whe
their activity was redoubled. and nothinp
could have been pljainer than their ac-
tons. They wanted their breakfast, and
without delay.
kept on a stand a glass of sugar and
water. A broom splint was the means to
the end, and while the hummers poised in
the air fed them with drops of nectar.
they licking 1t up with their long thread
like tongues with evident delight. Then
they would alight on my finger as l hello
il out. and eye me with approval and ell
low me to go to sleep again, If l wished
later. perhaps, following me down star,
TO sit on the sugar-bowl and be RECALLED
with more nectar.
Delightful as were these pets. 1t wa
manifestly hard fate to be imprisoned
near the flowers and growing verdure; an
so il came about that the hummers OBJ
tanned their liberty.