Taming the Humming-Birds. The Feat Accomplished by a Young Lady at San Rafael.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 176, 30 October 1886, Page 5 (Supplement)

Taming the Humming-Birds. The Feat Accomplished by a Young Lady at San Rafael.

A young lady, on invalid, lesiding at San Rafael, one of the health resorts in California, illustrated St. James' assertion that every kind of bird has been tamed, by taming two free, wild humming-birds. Her doctor ordered her to recline daily, during the summer, on rugs spread on the garden lawn. While taking this agreeable prescription one day, she noticed that two humming-birds were inspecting her from a safe distance. Their wise little heads, turned to one I eide, showed their curiosity, and ehe, taking advantage of it, planned for a more intimate acquaintance. She plucked & fuchsia, attached it to a- branch over her head, and filled it with sweetened water. In a few minutes the two little birds thrust their slender bills down into the flower and took long draughts. The next day she filled a fresh fuchsia with honey. The actions of the little birds showed that they preferred it to sweetened water. In a few days the birds became so tame and so impatient that they ecarcely waited for her to > leave the flowers .before thrusting their bills into the honey. One day while 8he held the flower she was filling with drops from a spoon, the birds caught at the drops as they fell, and then, becoming impatient, darted their thread-like t'cnguos.into the contents of the r»poon. The two 1 birds 1 were, both males, and therefore fought for possession of the honey -filled -flower, but they united to keep other humming birds, away ; and when a wasp or Dee-^ came near, it, was chased away. . ■ ' When the beginning of the rainy season drove, the yauag invalid-into the hou?e,/sh,e tried to coax them to the'parlour window. At first they acted as if they thought there wa's some mistake.- They would hum about the window, where shestood with,the flower and the spoonful of honey,-or watch her from a neighbouring branch, but not fa sip would they take* But at last one bird,- responding to her call, hovered.,about her hand'and, took from it repeatedlyr drops of-hooey.

; :^At^»re"0hanc4,^(^le^ c<Say, pi£ fellow, what haveyoU'got'your^wlnfer overcoat on ft'cUwfor l'\?^ ,Bo(rK^4?«|Well^ I'.vegot the , oBiUg^ih'd'my^ifeftHott^ tW