HUMMINGBIRDS 



235 



KEY TO ADULT MALE TROCHILUS. 



1. Throat velvety black. Rocky Mountains to the Pacific, 



1'. Throat metallic crimson. Plains to Atlantic 



alexandri, p. 235. 

 colubris, p. 235. 



Subgenus Trochilus. 



428. Trochilus colubris Linn. Ruby-throated Hummingbikd. 

 Adult male. — Cliin velvety black, scali^s of (jorfict brilliant crimson. ii]:)pei 



parts bronz)-^ green ; under 

 parts dark gray glossed with 

 green ; wing- with six inner 

 primaries abruptly sliorter 

 than the rest. Adult female : 

 tail with middle feathei's all 

 green, the rest green basally. 

 then black ; three outer pairs 

 broadly tipped with white. 

 Youny male : similar to adult 

 female, but throat streaked 

 with dusky, and featliers of 

 upper parts edged with pale 

 buffy. Young female : sim- 

 ilar, but throat without 

 streaks, and tail more 

 rounded. Male : length 3.07- 

 3.2."). wiug l.<i(), tail 1.25, tail 

 forked for about .30-.35, ex- 

 posed culmeu .55-.G5. Fe- 

 male : length 3.50-3.85, wing 

 1.80, tail 1.20, bill .70. 



Distribution. — Breeds 

 from the Atlantic to western 



parts of Nebraska and Tex.is. . 



and from Labrador south to o- -^ • 



Florida ; migrates to Cuba, Mexico, and Central America. 



Nest. — A felted cup of soft vegetable fibers coated with lichen and 

 fastened witli web ; saddled on to a twig or small branch of a tree, usually 

 10 to 20 feet from the ground. Eygs : 2, white. 



Food. — Largely minute spiders and insects. 



The ruby-tliroatcd liiiininiiiubinl has been reported as breeding in 

 the western ])arls of Nebraska and Texas. 



429. Trochilus alexandri Honrr. ,s- Muls. BL.\oK-rHiNNK 



MINCIMKI). 

 Adult nude. — (roryet above ojuKjue velvetjl black, bilow metallic vi 

 tering with purple, blue, and peacock green lights: uj)per parts 

 g^reeni.sh ; under parts soiled wliitish. green on sides. Adult 



female : u|)p«'j- parts bron/.y greiMi ; under i)art8 grayish ; 

 tail much roundid. nuddlc pair of feathers about tin* longest 

 and wholly green, next two featln'rs green tipped with blaek, 

 outer three tip|)e<l with white. Youny : similai- to adult feniah'. 

 but fe.atliers of upper ])arts tipped with bufi'y or rusty and 

 thro.it of male streake<l with duskv. Mat, : length :!.:'.0-;}.75, wii 



1.75. tail 1.25. bill .70 .75. F, mal> : len-th :;.'.IO-4. 10. winir 1.00- 



