“No,” I said, “they are not humming-birds;” and I spoke upon my mother’s authority, she in turn resting on my father’s teaching. “There are no humming-birds here: they are found in America and the islands.”
“And out here,” said Jack, dictatorially. “There they are; can’t you see ’em?”
“No,” I said, “those are sunbirds; and they take the place of the humming-birds out here in the East.”
“Nonsense! Think I don’t know a humming-bird when I see one. Why, I saw one at Sydney, stuffed.”
“When you two have done disputing,” said the doctor, “we’ll start.”
“Look here, doctor; ain’t those humming-birds?” said Jack.
“No, no, doctor,” I cried; “they are sunbirds, are they not?”
“I don’t know,” said the doctor; “let’s make haste on and ask the professor.”
I sprang to my feet as if stung by a reproach, for it seemed to me as if I had been thinking of trifles instead of the great object of my mission.