The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-10-22


 efenee of Their Nests and Young ost Elegant in Form and Splendid in Olor-sOuth American Names for hem. ith its rich sub-tropieaI climate it's wonderful profusion of flowers not to be wondered at that califor- has great numbers of humming 5. These flashing little feathered are wonderfully brilliant of plu- e-scarcely surpassed by those of Eral and South America and other teal countries.
 lese birds. says J. Mayne Baltimore he Los Angeles Times, are scattered bver the western hemisphere-in all s of the United States. not only in south, but far north, where it is ao- tely cold. Even in countries to north of Canada they may be seen g about, their brilliant plumage ngely contrasting with the snowy let of the scene.
 nithologists assert that these birds of d migratory nature. They gene
 retire from the northern to the hern part of the United States 1t the latter part of September, ing into Florida about the begin
 of November. Tn California and in Tierra del F'uego, which occupy pt the same relative positions north
 south, some species remain ugheut the entire year.
 course, the California hummer
 revel, almost uninterruptedly, the
 round. in a wealth of floral sweet
 and glory.
 you ever hold live California ming bird in your hand? I have
 fortunate enough to hold several these wee, brilliant creatures. I
 peeped into several of the downy, Rn Nab, gossamer-like homes. fly wonderfully constructed tiny ITS!
 To of the nests contained eggs
 two each; two contained young
 -bee-lilke fledglings. The eggs
 smaller than ordinary garden
 perfectly egg shaped, of gray. Hy tint.
 nlning birds the world over are
 daringfi, courageous and pugna- little fellows, despite their gaudy, ish ways. Those of California are xception to the rule. The general
 ession is they are very tinid and
 But the reverse is the case.
 e hot afternoon In June I was sit
 in a garden, reading. A few yards g stood a large bed of brilliant car pns. If there is anything which a hning bird fairly dotes on it is
 
 ldenly I heard a loud hum near at
 Looking toward the carnations W two hurnmers lowering around flowers. I watched their move $ closely for several minutes with
 interest.
 esently I observed that one of the
 creatures appeared to be entan-
 Its tongue, or long, needle-like
 was caught in some manner ir
 stamens of a large pink. Round
 round the little fellow kept flutter- h a helpless way, but he could not ate himself.
 tantly I dropped my book and rar
 The other bird, the little female d away like a shot. I very softly :, the tiny prisoner in my hand anc gently liberated it. For half 2 f te or more I held the fiuttering r bling creature in my hand. I only r could describe the beauty ant fS ancy of the plumage. Silk, velvet a hing, flashing gems, and the deli.
 iridescent tints of the rainbow f he only adequate words. Finally h leased the captive. In a flash ht f put of sight.
 z good fright was enough Keith, i. rd ever came back to the carnatioi b again. At least. the pinks were !, visited again by hurnming birds <, season.
 a Is summer I was out fishing in tht f; Cruz mountains. All the region! x nd were wild, lonely and rugged \, hot day I was fishing along { ,s ng little torrent. I was standing < deep, out in the stream, on tn, a edge of 3 swirling eddy. Oppo N on the rocky bank, stood a ceda,
 A long, slender limb, reaching t. # erearn, hung only a few feet abov @ cad.
 He busy angling a hummer cam ,a Ing around my head. It kept cir A. around me in an annoying man a Several times the wee thing ac flew into my face.
 < ally I stopped fishing. Instantl! T V. frd alighted on a twig and eyet z harply with it's bright, bead-lik A moment later it's little mat
 sd on the scene. Then began ~ hustle. rely there must be a nest nea ~ b said softly to myself. e In looked all around, but failin
 5cover one, resumed my fishing. v nediately both birds came whir ~ around my barred head like tw " hornets. This they kept up un 1s desisted. They both alighted an t me suspiciously. Again an es I tried to fish. but the persisten ks lres would give me no peace. ce Fn I laid my rod and began t 's h carefully for a nest. Sur
 h, there was one concealed ami q edar boughs, right above my heat a a I stood fishing. Very gently An the pendent branch down until hs take a furtive peep into tn -s