406 BULLETIN 17 6, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



him. He was able to approach cautiously, without any concealment, 

 to within about 18 inches of the nest and to take numerous photo- 

 graphs at short range, without causing the bird much concern. On 

 the second day the camera was placed on the tripod close to the nest ; 

 she examined it thoroughly several times and from all sides but did 

 not seem much afraid of it; and on the following day she sat with 

 her tail toward the instrument, thus showing her indifference to it. 

 For a close study of the care of the young, he disguised himself as 

 a balsam tree, being well covered with balsam boughs and twigs; 

 the bird paid almost no attention to him with this disguise, and he 

 was able to watch proceedings for long periods with his face within 

 about a foot of the nest. At first she was suspicious and would not go 

 to the nest but buzzed all around him, chirping and examining his 

 make-up very minutely, and when she came within an inch or two 

 of his ear, he found the boom of her wings a formidable sound ; she 

 repeated this examination twice more before she settled on the nest 

 for any length of time. 



It is a well-known fact that hummingbirds are attracted to investi- 

 gate any red object that might suggest a flower. Dr. Grinnell (1909) 

 records that, on Admiralty Island, Alaska, a brilliant male rufous 

 hummer "buzzed about some bright red tomato cans that had been 

 thrown out. Stephens records that at the same place. May 2, a male 

 came around camp investigating everything that was red, such as a 

 red-bordered towel, the red places on the end of a fruit box, an 

 empty salmon can, and particularly a red bandana handkerchief hang- 

 ing on a bush ; this the bird went to three times." 



Voice. — During the courtship performance a twittering note is 

 heard from the male, as well as a whining sound, which is probably 

 caused by the rush of air through the wings. Ralph C. Tate (1928) 

 heard "a peculiar sound, somewhere between a buzz and a grunt," 

 from a male that was feeding at the flowers of a trumpetvine on his 

 porch. Dr. Wetmore (1921) says that "in flying their wings made a 

 subdued humming and the birds called chewp chewp in a low tone." 



G. Hammersley (1928) writes from Crofton, British Columbia: 



When the fruit trees came into blossom, Mr. Hummer was in the orchard 

 every day. One does not have to see him in order to know that he is there, 

 as he has his own peculiar song or "drumming." It is uttered as he swoops 

 past one or shoots swiftly overhead and might be written cli-cli-ch, clmt-cliurrr 

 or tut-ut-ut-ut-turrre. Immediately after making this sound he darts straight 

 upwards until reaching the desired height when he comes to a sudden and 

 complete full stop, remaining stationary in the air like a glittering ruby set in 

 the blue sky. Whilst in this position he will repeat the ordinary call note of 

 tchik which is common to both the sexes, then dropping suddenly he flies back 

 to his "watch-tower". I think that the drumming soimd is probably produced 

 by the tail feathers. The male hummer has the monopoly of another and quite 



