362 BULLETIN 17 6, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



purple, magenta, blue, or even green, a beautiful display of colors 

 at various angles. 



Its breeding range in the United States is in the Lower Austral 

 Zone in southern California, southwestern Utah, Arizona, and south- 

 ern New Mexico ; and it extends southward throughout the whole of 

 Baja California. It winters mainly in southern Baja California and 

 northwestern Mexico but has been seen casuall}^ in southern California 

 in winter. 



It is less dependent on the presence of water than some other hum- 

 mers and seems to prefer the more arid regions in the deserts, the 

 chaparral, the sagebrush plains, and the desert washes. Ralph Hoff- 

 mann (1927) describes these Avashes very well, as follows: "In the 

 foothills of southern California the dark green belt of orange 

 orchards is here and there interrupted by wide tongues of stones and 

 gravel poured out by the canyon streams. These stony plains are 

 overgrown by cactus, sumach, and occasional junipers, but in May 

 and June are gay with scarlet larkspur, tall white yuccas and other 

 humbler bloom. If one stands for a moment in the midst of this bee 

 paradise, the tiny figure of a Hummingbird shoots past or stops to 

 probe the tall spikes of the white ball-sage. After feeding, the little 

 creature perches perhaps on a dead twig, and, protruding its long 

 needle-like tongue, wipes off the last bit of honey against its slender 

 bill." 



Spring. — Costa's hummingbird is a summer resident in the United 

 States, arriving during the latter half of March or early in April 

 and making a rather short stay. Robert S. Woods, who has had 

 considerable experience with this and other hummingbirds, says 

 (1924a) that "the males arrive about the last of March, or later, ac- 

 cording to the season, and leave early in June, females or young 

 being seen for some time thereafter." He says elsewhere (1927b) 

 that these hummingbirds, when they first arrive, "are almost con- 

 stantly in a state of activity, so that it is often difficult to obtain 

 more than a fleeting glimpse of them as they chase one another about. 

 At these times there appears to be a great preponderance of males, 

 which is partly accounted for, no doubt, by the quieter and more 

 retiring habits of the females." Again (1922), he writes: 



"In no case have I seen a male hunnningbird in the vicinity of the 

 nest or in any way showing interest in the matter. In fact, all the 

 males had apparently started on their southward migration by the 

 middle of June, 1922, or soon after the eggs had been laid in the last 

 nest and while the young in the second nest were no more than half 

 grown. None was seen earlier than May, probably on account of the 

 lateness of the season, so their stay was very short this year. By 

 July 1 the females and young were also noticeably scarcer. If the 

 owner of the third nest had remained to hatch out and rear her 



