Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 21, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 December 1899 — A Hummingbird’s Umbrella [ARTICLE]

A Hummingbird’s Umbrella

In front of a .window where'l worked was a butternut tree. A humming-bird built her nest on a limb that grew near the window, says a writer in the American Sportsman, and we had an opportunity to watch her closely. In fact, we could ipok right into the nest. One day when there was a heavy shower coming up we thought we would see if she covered her young during the rain. Well, when the first drops fell sjie came and took in her bill one of two or three large leaves growing close by, and laid this leaf over the nest so as to completely cover it; then she flew away. On examining the leaf, we found a hole in it, and in the side of the nest was a small stick that the leaf was fastened to or hooked upon. After the storm was over, the old oird came back and unhooked the leaf, and the nest was perfectly dry.