is of a dull brown color, with brilliant
ear-feathers and metallic-green throat. Both it and the _Florisuga
mellivora_ are short billed, generally catching flying insects, and do
not frequent flowers so much as other humming-birds. I have seen the
_Petasophora_ fly into the centre of a dancing column of midges and
rapidly darting first at one end then at another secure half a dozen
of the tiny flies before the column was broken up; then retire to a
branch and wait until it was re-formed, when it made another sudden
descent on them.... I have no doubt many humming-birds suck the honey
from flowers, as I have seen it exude from their bills when shot; but
others do not frequent them; and the principal food of all is small
insects. I have examined scores of them, and never without finding
insects in their crops. Their generally long bills have been spoken of
by some naturalists as tubes into which they suck the honey by a
piston-like movement of the tongue; but suction in the usual way would
be just as effective; and I am satisfied that this is not the primary
use of the tongue, nor of the mechanism which enables it to be exerted
to a great length beyond the end of the bill. The tongue, for one-half
of its length, is semi-horny and cleft in two, the two halves are laid
flat against each other when at rest, but can be separated at the will
of the bird and form a delicate pliable pair of forceps, most
admirably adapted for picking out minute insects from amongst the
stamens of the flowers.

[Illustration]

THE FOUNDATIONS OF A WONDERFUL CITY

(FROM THE LIFE OF THE BEES.)

BY MAURICE MAETERLINCK.

(TRANSLATED BY MARIE JOSEPHINE WELSH.)

[Illustration]

Here in their new home there is nothing--not a drop of honey nor a
single landmark in the shape of a piece of wax. The bee has no data
and no starting-point; he has nothing but the desolate nakedness of
the walls and the roof of an immense building. The walls are round and
smooth, but all is dark within.... The bee does not understand useless
regrets, or if he does, he does not encumber himself with them. Far
from being discouraged by the conditions which now confront him, he is
more determined than ever. The hive is no sooner set up in its proper
place than the disorder of the crowd begins to diminish, and one sees
in the swarming multitude clear and definite divisions which take
shape in a most unexpected manner. The larger part of the bees, acting
precisely