The Description of the American Tomineius, or Humming Bird, Communicated by Nehemiah Grew, M. D. and Fellow of the Royal Society

To examine yet farther this matter of new-made Air, I took one Grain weight of Crabs Eyes, to which I poured Wine Vinegar, and in 4 hours as much Air was generated as filled the space of 44 Grains of Water; and 3 Grains of Crabs-Eyes produced about three times as much. This new-made Air kept its Expansion for 12 hours that I observed it, whence it appears to have been true Air. V. The Description of the American Tomineius, or Humming Bird, communicated by Nehemiah Grew, M.D. and Fellow of the Royal Society. There is in most parts of America a Bird called by the English the Hum-Bird, by the Spaniard Tomineius. He is of a most excellent shining green Color, and very resplendent; the Colour doth something resemble some of our English Drakes-heads. It doth inhabit in some of the colder parts of America, as well as in the hotter. It is the least of all Birds that I have seen there or in England; her Leg and Foot together is but half an Inch, the other parts answerable, the Trunk of her Body not an Inch. I did weigh one (in those parts) as soon as ever it was kill'd, whose Weight was the tenth part of an Ounce Avoirdupoize, which I take to be about the Weight of a Coined Six-pence. And I have weighed here in England a Tit-mouse (which I take to be the least Bird here) and it weighed above Two Shillings, and some Half a Crown. I saw one of their Nests made of Cotton-Wool, in form and bigness of the Thumb Thumb of a Man's Glove, with the Taper end set downwards, wherein were two Eggs of the bigness of a Pea, of oval Form. Who can but admire to see the whole Body, and all the parts of a Bird folded up in an Egg, little bigger than a Pepper-Corn? They feed by thrusting their Bill and Tongue into the blossoms of Trees, and so suck the sweet Juice of Honey from them; and when he sucks he sits not, but bears up his Body with a hovering Motion of his Wings: But for the relation that he is a curious singing Bird, I think it untrue. God in many of his Creatures is bountiful, yet not lavish; for I did observe them several years, but never heard them sing; and the Peacock and Jay, though they be of a fine Plume, yet no Singers; and so I think this Bird is so beautiful to the Eye, as not at all to please the Ear. An Indian Soggamore is not in his full Pomp and Bravery without one of these Birds in his Ear for a Pendant. He is call'd the Hum-bird or Humming Bird, because some say he makes a noise like a Spinning Wheel when he flies, which I think rather an Imagination than real; for I have been many times very near them, both when they hover'd and when they did fly, and I never heard any Noise; besides, their Body and Wings are too small to strike Air enough to make any Noise. But of this I shall not be positive, because some Authors are opposite to me. It is a Solitary Bird: I never saw but two at a time together, viz. the Male and the Female, they being easily known when together, the Male being somewhat bigger than the Female. If one take a small Birds Wing, and stand 4 or 5 yards from a Candle (when dark) and open the Wing, and look thro' it at the Candle, he may see a most elegant Colour of red and green, which green doth something resemble the Colour of this Bird.