238 HUMMINGBIRDS 



Distribution. -- Central and southern California, chiefly west of the 

 mountains, southern Arizona, and Lower California. 



Nest. Plant down covered with bits of green mosses and lichens, fas- 

 tened by web, sometimes lined with feathers or fur ; placed usually 8 to 15 

 feet from the ground, in trees or bushes often overhanging water. Eggs : 

 2, white. 



Food. Spiders, small insects, and nectar from flowers ; also sap exud- 

 ing from sapsucker punctures. 



"Like all the hummingbirds this species follows the flowers, and 

 its local presence or absence is governed by their abundance or 

 scarcity. Thus, in August and September hundreds of Anna hum- 

 mers are to be found over the stubble fields and sunflower patches, 

 attracted by the flowers of the 'tar-weed.' During the winter 

 months they are found in profusion about the blossoming eucalyptus 

 trees. In January and February when the weather is mild, they 

 appear high on the mountain sides among the flowering manzanitas ; 

 and in March and April in the blossoming orange groves in the 

 valley, and about the currant bushes on the hillsides." (Joseph 

 Grinnell.) 



GENUS SELASPHORUS. 



General Characters. Adult males with outer primary narrow and 

 __ _____ pointed ; tail feathers partly rufous, more or less grad- 



s^n^zrr^^^' uated. 



KEY TO ADULT MALES. 



1. Top of head red like gorget ......... floresii, p. 238. 



1'. Top of head greenish, unlike gorget. 



2. Upper parts mainly rufous .......... rufus, p. 239. 



2'. Upper parts mainly green. 



3. Gorget purple .......... platycercus, p. 238. 



3'. Gorget scarlet ............. alleiii, p. 241. 



[431.1.] Selasphorus floresii Gould. FLORESI HUMMINGBIRD. 



Adult male. --Top of head and gorget brilliant metallic red; middle tail 

 feathers green bordered with ruf oils, outer tail feathers wholly dusky ; belly 

 white; sides and flanks green. Ad nit female : unknown. Length: 3.25, 

 wing 1.75, tail 1.40, exposed culmeii .(>">. 



Distribution. Mexico. Recorded at San Francisco and Haywards. 



432. Selasphorus platycercus (Swains.). BROAD-TAILED HUM- 

 MINGBIRD. 



A il ult male. Gorget without elongated sides, deep rose pink; top of head 

 bronzy green like back and middle tail feathers ; other tail 

 feathers purplish black, some of them edged with rufous; 

 under parts whitish, sides glossed with green. Adult female 

 and young : upper parts bronzy green ; under parts whitish, 

 Ihe throat with dark specks, sometimes with a few central 

 feathers like gorget of male ; sides brownish ; three outer 

 tail feathers rufous at base, with a black subterminal band 

 Fig. 313. and white tip ; a touch of green on the second and third 



