426 LAND BIRDS 



to watch the proceeding, as by that time the opening 

 had been cut about half-way around, bringing the chick's 

 bill directly underneath and in the j)alm of my hand. 

 When the shell had been cut four-fifths around, tlie chick 

 succeeded in getting one claw hooked over the edge of 

 the break, and, by one or two vigorous pushes, broke 

 the remaining space, leaving in my hand two nearly equal 

 parts of what had been a hummingbird's egg, and a 

 squirming something that bore no resemblance whatever 

 to one of the peerless members of the genus Cahjpte. 

 The entire operation of hatching consumed about fifteen 

 minutes. " 



433. RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD.— .S'e/«*p/iorM*rM/ky. 

 Family : The Hummingbirds. 



Length: Male 3.25-3.70 ; female 3.50-3.90. 



Adult Male: Gorget intensely brilliant flame-color, with orange and 

 green lights ; rest of plumage reddish brown, with bronze-green iri- 

 descence on crown ; a light band across the breast just below the 

 gorget ; tail-feathers rufous, with dusky mesial streaks. 



Adult Female : Upper parts reddish brown and bronze ; under parts 

 whitish, washed with red brown on the sides ; tail-feathers reddish 

 brown for basal half; middle pair green extending nearly to base ; the 

 three outer feathers tijiped with white and banded with blackish ; 

 belly white ; flanks and under tail-coverts light reddish brown. 



Young Male : Similar to adult female, but upper parts light reddish 

 brown and darker on rump ; throat with a few bright metallic red 

 feathers. 



Young Femcde: Similar to young male, but rump green and throat dull 

 green. 



Geograpliical Distribution: Western North America, north to Alaska, 

 east to Rocky Mountains, south through Mexico. 



California Breeding Range : The Boreal zone of the central and northern 

 Sierra Nevada. 



Breeding Season : March to August. 



