364 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA 



CLXXXI. SELASPHORUS Swainson. 1831. 

 433. Rufous Hummingbird. 



Selasphorus nifus (Gmel.) Swains. 1831. 



This species was discovered at Nootka sound by Captain Cook, 

 and I have before me one of the identical specimens. (Richardson.) 

 Common on Vancouver island and throughout British Columbia. 

 (Lord.) Moderately common everywhere in British Columbia. 

 (Streator.) West of the Coast range ; an abundant summer resident ; 

 the only one to my knowledge on Vancouver island. (Fannin.) 

 Common summer resident at Chilliwack. (Brooks.) This was a 

 common species at Banff, Rocky mountains, Alta., during the season 

 of 1 89 1, breeding in numbers on the lower branches of the spruce, 

 especially about Vermilion lakes ; observed several in the Crow 

 Nest pass in August, 1897; first seen at Revelstoke, B.C., April 30th, 

 1890, after that date became very common and still very numerous on 

 May 30th, feeding on raspberry bushes; only occasionally seen at 

 Deer park and Robson, on the Columbia river, in June, 1890; quite 

 common on Mount Queest, Gold range, B.C., at an altitude of 6,500 

 feet, in August, 1889; not uncommon at Waterton lake, Alta., at 

 the eastern base of the Rocky mountains in July, 1895; very abun- 

 dant, May 24th, 1904, feeding on the flowers of a large Penstemon at 

 Elko, B.C. ; rather common in 1905 along the Hope trail, and on the 

 mountains between the Skagit river and Chilliwack lake, B.C. ; a 

 few seen at Chilliwack and McGuire ranch, Chilliwack river, B.C., 

 June, 1 901; a few seen near the international boundary between 

 Trail and Cascade ; very abundant along Murphy Creek trail, just 

 north of Rossland, in July, 1902 ; first seen at Victoria, Vancouver 

 island, April 22nd, 1893, and common by the 25th ; at this date 

 they were feeding in great numbers on the wild gooseberry (Ribes 

 divaricatum) ; a summer resident throughout the island. (Spread- 

 borough.) Incredibly numerous on the coast during April migra- 

 tions; nesting at Nisqually while night frosts still lingered and mer- 

 cury averaged 45° to 50° during the day. Scarcely less common 

 in many parts of the interior districts and found on the summits of 

 the highest mountains, including the Rockies ; nests with eggs nearly 

 hatched found April i8th, 1892. (Rhoads.) On June 15th, 1893, 

 I found this species to be common along Vermilion lakes at Banfif, 



