BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD 359 



clustered pink flowers of the Texas buckeye, the pink flowers of the 

 Texas redbud, and the rich purple and overpoweringly-perfumed 

 flowers of the Texas mountain laurel on slopes and flattened valleys 

 in the hills, largely on minute insects but also on nectar, pollen, and 

 dew." Kobert S. Woods (1927), at a time of unprecedented drought 

 in southern Arizona, noted that "aside from a very few scattered 

 mescals, there was an entire lack of flowers, in lieu of which the 

 hummingbirds were systematically probing the clusters of leaves at 

 the ends of the live oak twigs." The black-chinned hummingbird, 

 like its eastern relative, has been known to feed on syrup made of 

 sugar or honey and placed in artificial containers. 



This hummer also poses as a flycatcher, as noted by several ob- 

 servers. Milton P. Skinner writes to me : "I saw one perched on a 

 bush, 12 feet above ground on the edge of an open space. It was 

 watching for insects. When one came within reach the humming- 

 bird darted after it, sometimes going as much as 40 feet. It perched 

 quietly and was quite hump-backed, but its head turned constantly 

 from side to side. Generally its prey was not high up, but once the 

 bird shot up into the air at least 50 feet. After watching it for half 

 an hour I left it still looking for insects as at first. Later another 

 one was seen buzzing about the bases of some willows. This one 

 caught its insects as it came to them, but it did not perch and watch 

 for them." 



Behavior. — The flight of the black-chinned hummingbird when 

 traveling from one place to another is swift and direct. While hov- 

 ering about its feeding stations it has perfect control of its move- 

 ments; it can remain stationary in the air, rise or fall at will, and 

 even move backward with a downward thrust of its broad tail. The 

 little wings vibrate with astonishing rapidity, as described more fully 

 under the ruby-throated hummingbird; no ordinary camera shutter 

 is quick enough to stop the motion. Mr. Skinner says in his notes : 

 "Early in the morning these birds are rather quiet, but by 9 o'clock 

 they become livelier and are really quite nervous. About 9 a. m. 

 one was seen to fly to a small creek and have a good splatter bath in 

 a shallow pool ; then it flew up on a 12-foot willow to sun itself and 

 preen. When they perch on willows and small limbs they alight 

 both crosswise and lengthwise of the perch. As a rule they seem 

 bold and unafraid of people." 



W. L. Dawson (1923) relates the following: 



Once, a hummer, finding itself entrapped in a porch by a wall of "chicken- 

 wire" netting with meshes only an inch and a half in diameter, first passed 

 slowly before the face of the screen, searching whether there might be any 

 exception in his favor. Finding none, he made up his mind and darted 

 through. So swiftly was the passage effected that the eye could detect no 

 change in the position of the bird's wings. Only the ear noted an infinitesimal 

 pause in their rhythm. Yet to accomplish this, the bird had been obliged to 



