蜂 鳥(niǎo) 

　　蜂鳥(niǎo)是世界上已知最小的鳥(niǎo)類(lèi)，因拍打翅膀的嗡嗡聲(humming)而得名，屬雨燕目蜂鳥(niǎo)科。它能夠通過(guò)快速拍打翅膀懸停在空中，頻率為每秒約15到80次，每分鐘就能達(dá)到約900到4800次，拍打翅膀速度的快慢取決于蜂鳥(niǎo)的大小。蜂鳥(niǎo)是唯一可以向后飛行的鳥(niǎo)，它也可以在空中懸停或向左和向右飛行。蜂鳥(niǎo)還是世界上最小的恒溫動(dòng)物。

　　最美麗的蜂鳥(niǎo)生活在西印度群島和南美大陸，它細(xì)小玲瓏的腦袋上長(zhǎng)著閃閃發(fā)光的羽冠，就像戴著一頂五顏六色的王冠。彩色的羽毛裝點(diǎn)著它的前胸，是那樣光彩奪目。以致當(dāng)它從一個(gè)物體掠過(guò)另一個(gè)物體時(shí)，不像是有生命的東西，倒更像是陽(yáng)光在閃爍。

　　也許你會(huì)問(wèn)，為什么叫它蜂鳥(niǎo)呢？這是因?yàn)樵谒w行的時(shí)候，翅膀會(huì)迅速扇動(dòng)，并發(fā)出輕輕的嗡嗡聲。它的翅膀扇動(dòng)得非常快，以至于它在飛的時(shí)候你只能看到它們的翅膀。

　　一天，我在樹(shù)林中散步時(shí)，發(fā)現(xiàn)了一種最小的蜂鳥(niǎo)所筑的巢。它大概只有一只很小的雞蛋的一半那么大，附著在一根比織針還細(xì)的嫩樹(shù)枝上。

　　它看起來(lái)像是由棉絮建成的，上面覆蓋著柔軟的小樹(shù)葉和樹(shù)皮。巢里面有兩只十分潔白的蜂鳥(niǎo)蛋，每個(gè)蛋大概只有小塊方糖那么大。

　　不過(guò)，當(dāng)你接近蜂鳥(niǎo)巢的時(shí)候，千萬(wàn)得當(dāng)心，蜂鳥(niǎo)媽媽可能向你猛沖過(guò)來(lái)，啄傷你的眼睛。它那非常鋒利的鳥(niǎo)喙可能會(huì)對(duì)你的眼睛造成嚴(yán)重傷害，甚至?xí)鼓闶鳌?/p>

　　這可憐的小東西不知道用其他方法來(lái)保護(hù)自己的孩子，它的本能告訴自己，你們接近巢的目的就是為了帶走它的孩子。

　　Humming Birds

　　The most beautiful humming birds are found in the West Indies and South America. The crest of the tiny head of one of these shines like a sparkling crown of colored light。

　　The shades of color that adorn its breast, are equally brilliant. As the bird flits from one object to another, it looks more like a bright flash of sunlight than it does like a living being。

　　But, you ask, why are they called humming birds? It is because they make a soft, humming noise by the rap motion of their wings — a motion so rap, that as they fly you can only see that they have wings。

　　One day when walking in the woods, I found the nest of one of the smallest humming birds. It was about half the size of a very small hen's egg, and was attached to a twig no thicker than a steel knitting needle。

　　It seemed to have been made of cotton fibers, and was covered with the softest bits of leaf and bark. It had two eggs in it, quite white, and each about as large as a small sugarplum。

　　When you approach the spot where one of these birds has built its nest, it is necessary to be careful. The mother bird will dart at you and try to peck your eyes. Its sharp beak may hurt your eyes most severely, and even destroy the sight。

　　The poor little thing knows no other way of defending its young, and instinct teaches it that you might carry off its nest if you could find it。