El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-04-26

are found. Colombia. also. is a very
productive hunting ground for hum
ming birds. which are bought up in
quantities by dealers at Santa Fe de
export.
More Clever Than Parrots.
Though among feathered creatures.
parrots and crows are by natuFalists
rated most remarkable for brains, It
seems not unlikely h IA they are sur
passed in point Of intelligence BY hum
ming birds-especially when one con-
siders the wonderful cleyerness shown
by the latter in their nest building
operations.
Thus, for example, the very tiny
species known as "hermits, which in
habit the gloomy and as yet unex-
plored forests Of southern Brazil tas-
ten their nests to the long tips OF palm
leaVes-this being intended, appar-
entity, as a ~precautiOn against attack
by MONKEYS. But. incidentally, the lit
tie house is so placed that all falling
water Gin a region where 1t some
times rains as If the bottom OF the
sky has dropped out) is shed away
from it by the leaf.
Even in those parts Of tropical
America where, as in Colombia hum
ming birds are vastly numerous, II IS
almost impossible Tor the most eN-
perienced naturalist to find their nests
And this, although the latter, as a
rule. are not hidden at all-the feath-
cred builders relying for cOncealment
upon the likeness of their tiny houses
to the SURROUNDINGS amid which they
are placed. A hummer's nest always
corresponds exactly in color with the
branch to which it is attached. 1t may
initiate. a knot or other eXcresence.
Thus the CalliOpe humming bird Of
the western United States often builds
on a dead pine twig, either upon or
close by a cone Of similar size and
hue.
Usually the nests of humming birds
are sup shaped or turban shaped, and
their material is nearly always plant
down. Such down, resembling cotton
wool. but Of a more delicate fiber, IS
gathered from the stems OF Terms ana
other plants. Occasionally dandeliOn
fuzz is mixed with it What is wanted
for the purpose is something very
soft and ''packyH-that is to say, sus-
ceptible of being felted into a COM
past mass.
However. in order to give the strue-
ture the requisite stability, these little
birds resort to a very curious and in
teresting expedient They take spiders
webs. n weave them in with the
plant fuzz. Occasionally they orha-
ment the outside Of the nest with small
feathers, but nearly always they use
in their way lichens, which they obtain
BY detachlng them with their pedhs
from the rocks or tree Dranches on
which such humble plants grow These
they fasten all over the exterior Of
the tiny house with cobwebs-the ldea
in view being to make the nest look
as unlike a nest as possible
Nests Like HammOeks.
There are some species which build
nests resembling hammocks, n las
ten them with cObwebs to the faces Of
rocks or cliffs. The hill stars" which
far up near the snow line OF the
Andes. adopt a wholly different method
of construction, their houses being
very large and composed OF llama hair.
and feathers. one of these nests
is nearly as big as a mans head, and
at the TOP of 1T is a little c-up-shaped
depression to receive the two snow
white eggs which (nO more and no
fewer) hummiHE birds Invariably lay
h the nests of humming birds are
suspended from leaves or tendrils they
are completely weighted for stability,
in order hat they may not be upset by
any passing breeze For this purpose
a considerable structural addition may