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　　蜂 鳥 

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

　　最美麗的蜂鳥生活在西印度群島和南美大陸，它細小玲瓏的腦袋上長著閃閃發光的羽冠，就像戴著一頂五顏六色的王冠。彩色的羽毛裝點著它的前胸，是那樣光彩奪目。以致當它從一個物體掠過另一個物體時，不像是有生命的東西，倒更像是陽光在閃爍。

　　也許你會問，為什么叫它蜂鳥呢？這是因為在它飛行的時候，翅膀會迅速扇動，并發出輕輕的嗡嗡聲。它的翅膀扇動得非常快，以至于它在飛的時候你只能看到它們的翅膀。

　　一天，我在樹林中散步時，發現了一種最小的蜂鳥所筑的巢。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的嫩樹枝上。

　　它看起來像是由棉絮建成的，上面覆蓋著柔軟的小樹葉和樹皮。巢里面有兩只十分潔白的蜂鳥蛋，每個蛋大概只有小塊方糖那么大。

　　不過，當你接近蜂鳥巢的時候，千萬得當心，蜂鳥媽媽可能向你猛沖過來，啄傷你的眼睛。它那非常鋒利的鳥喙可能會對你的眼睛造成嚴重傷害，甚至會使你失明。

　　這可憐的小東西不知道用其他方法來保護自己的孩子，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。

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