File:Bird-lore (1912) (14752552191).jpg

Identifier: birdlore14nati (find matches)
Title: Bird-lore
Year: 1899 (1890s)
Authors: National Association of Audubon Societies for the Protection of Wild Birds and Animals
Subjects: Birds -- Periodicals Birds -- Conservation Periodicals
Publisher: New York, National Association of Audubon Societies
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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times perchesin the open on a taut wire, where the light plays on every ruby feather of hisgorget, making him conspicuous out of all proportion to his size. While he rests thus, preening first one wing and then the other, it is a-fine chance to study the bird in detail—the upperparts feathered in glisteninggreen, with metallic tints of purple and blue upon wings and tail, and the won-derful ruby throat, separated from the dull gray-green breast by a line of light.From the end of his needle-like bill to the tail-tip he measures a trifle underthree and one-fourth inches, while the wings that make the resonant hum,suggesting the motive power of a machine rather than of a bird, measure-only about one and a-half inches on either side of the body. Truly this is ourleast bird, the competitor for this honor being the pert little cinnamoniDrown Winter Wren, that measures a trifle over four inches, and the con-jfiding Golden-crowned Kinglet of the yellow-bordered orange crown, olivace- (i86)
Text Appearing After Image:
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDOrder-MACROCHi RES Family-TROCH i Li dm Genus-ARCHiLocHUS Spe=ies-CoLUBRis National Association of Audubon SocietiesEducational Leaflet No. 56 The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird 187 ous ui)pcr plumage, and dull while undcrparts, a bird that we see frequentlyin orchards during the migrations. Though this Kinglet is only about one pointlonger than the Wren, and about one-fourth of an inch longer than the Ruby-throat, it appears to be much larger on account of its fluffy breast feathers. So slim and compact is the Hummngbird that, seen at the usual distance,its plumage has more the appearance of metal work than the shaft and downof feathers. Its voice also has the sharp squeak of metallic contact, and isutterly unlike the usual bird note. I have heard precisely the same tone from amouse. But, at close range, all these qualities are transformed. This is a casewhen a bird in the hand gave me a different idea of that same bird in thebush, forevermore. Let it be distinctl

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