446 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



The outer three feathers green at base, then black, and tipped with white ; the fourth 

 green and black ; the fifth green, with a dusky shade at end ; all, except central, edged 

 internally at base with rufous. The under mandible is paler at base than elsewhere, but 

 not yellowish- white as in the male. 



Hab. Mountains of Washington Terriiory, Oregon, and California, to Northern 

 Me.Kico. East to East Ilumboldt Mountains (Ridgway) ; Fort Tejou (Xantus) ; Fort 

 Crook (Feilner). 



The male bird is easily distinguished from other Xorth American species 

 by its very small size, the snowy-white bases of the elongated loose throat- 

 featliers, and by the shai)e of the tail, as also the absence, at least in the 

 several males before us, of decided metallic green on the central tail-feathers. 

 The females resemble those of A. hdoisce most closely, but have longer bills 

 and wings, broader tail-feathers, and their rufous confined to the edges, 

 instead of crossing the entire basal portion. Sdasjjhorus jilatjiccrcus and rufus 

 are much larger, and have tails marked more as in A. heloiscc. 



Habits. This interesting species was first met with as a Mexican Hum- 

 ming-Bird, on the high table-lands of that republic, by Signer Floresi. His 

 specimens were obtained in the neighborhood of the Eeal del Monte mines. 

 As it was a comparatively rare bird, and only met with in the winter 

 months, it was rightly conjectured to be only a migrant in that locality. 



This species is new to the fauna of Xorth America, and was first brought 

 to the attention of naturalists by ilr. J. K. Lord, one of the British com- 

 missioners on the Northwest Boundary Survey. It is presumed to be a 

 mountain species, found in the highlands of British Columbia, Washington 

 Territory, Oregon, California, and Northern Mexico. 



Early in ilay ]\Ir. Lord was stationed on the Little Spokan Ei\"er, super- 

 intending the building of a bridge. The snow was still remaining in patches, 

 and no ilowers were in bloom except the brilliant pink Rihes, or flowering 

 currant. Around the blossoms of this shrub he found congregated quite a 

 number of Humming-Birds. Tiie bushes seemed to him to literally gleam 

 with their flashing colors. They were all male birds, and of two species ; 

 and upon obtaining several of both they proved to be, one the Sdasphorus 

 rufus, the other the present species, one of the smallest of Humming-Birds, 

 and in life conspicuous for a frill of minute pinnated feathers, encircling tlie 

 throat, of a delicate magenta tint, -nhich can be raised or depressed at will. 

 A few days after the females arrived, and the species then dispersed in 

 pairs. 



He afterwards ascertained tliat they prefer rocky hillsides at great alti- 

 tudes, where only pine-trees, rock plants, and an alpine flora are found. He 

 frequently shot these birds above the line of perpetual snow. Their favor- 

 ite resting-place was on the extreme point of a dead pine-tree, where, if un- 

 disturbed, they would sit for hours. The site chosen for the nest was 

 usually the branch of a young pine, where it was artfully concealed amidst 

 the fronds at the very end, and rocked like a cradle by every passing breeze. 



