334 BULLETIN 17 6, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



night was 28 degrees above zero. Early on the following morning the tem- 

 perature was again 22 degrees. Ice formed in water-pails and a cold wind blew 

 all day. * * • 



During the morning of May 20th the ground and trees were covered with six 

 Inches of heavy, wet snow. I spent several hours paddling along the lake-shore 

 on which our camp was located, observing the Hummingbirds and warblers that 

 came there to feed. * * * All these appeared sluggish with the cold, and 

 the Hummingbirds fluttered about on the underside of the snow-covered leaves, 

 which were about half -developed, apparently capturing minute insects (probably 

 aphids), on which they fed, occasionally dropping to the logs that floated along 

 the shore to secure something so small that I could not determine what it was 

 they were eating. * * * 



All the birds permitted so close an approach that I could not use field-glasses 

 during these observations. The last day of my stay the Hummingbirds were 

 observed in their usual feeding places and apparently survived the cold weather 

 unharmed. 



Usually in spring we meet hummingbirds singly, or at most two 

 or three together, but once in a while we come upon a gathering 

 of migrating birds — almost always of one sex — collected sometimes 

 in a single favored tree. About noon on May 22, 1936, I came upon 

 such a gathering. The birds were in a good-sized red horse-chest- 

 nut tree in full flower. They must have numbered more than a 

 dozen, perhaps twice this number. As I came near the tree there 

 burst out a long series of short, sharp, high, jerky notes, the pitch 

 rising and falling, the volume increasing and decreasing. The indi- 

 vidual notes had a squeaky quality suggested by the letters sk^ but 

 in spite of this I was reminded of the house wren's chatter. By 

 direct comparison, however, the wren's voice was much more mellow, 

 and the delivery more indolent, if one may use the word in reference 

 to that sprightly bird. 



Looking in among the branches, I could see here and there two 

 or three birds flying about, making darts at each other. Sometimes 

 a bird or two birds, one chasing the other, flew out and, after flying 

 around the tree a little way, shot in among the branches again. The 

 tree seemed swarming with hummingbirds. Soon the activity calmed 

 down, and the birds perched motionless on small branches, here 

 and there. 



The sound quieted also, but rose again energetically when the 

 birds resumed their activity. They probed the blossoms, evidently 

 feeding, but for the most part seemed interested in one another — 

 playfully, or with little hostility. Once I saw two birds fly straight 

 up in the air, close together like mating bees or a swallow feeding 

 its young on the wing, strike at each other, I think, then turn and 

 dive head-downward into the tree. Again a bird flies out from the 

 tree at an approaching bird, utters zzzt-zzz^ and drives it off. 



The notes varied a good deal. Sometimes a note was so fine, high, 

 and drawn out that it was only a hiss; generally they were very 



