BUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD 339 



pretty well cleared of intruding visitors. On one occasion the 

 female Ruby-throat left her nest repeatedly to torment a family of 

 Carolina Wrens, and to pay her respects to a Tufted Titmouse. 

 Otherwise I think I should have never located the tiny nest situated 

 50 feet above ground, and so thoroughly concealed from view." 



In the experience of almost all observers the female parent builds 

 the nest and rears the young unaided by her mate. Bradford Torrey 

 (1892) long ago called attention to this habit in two delightful essays, 

 and Saunders (1936) states in corroboration that "male Humming 

 Birds do not seem to stay in the Quaker Run valley through the nest- 

 ing season. They are rarely if ever seen after the middle of August." 



It is very rare to find any deviation from this habit; hence the 

 following is a very exceptional observation, and it may be that the 

 male's attendance at this nest was merely perfunctory. W. A. Welter 

 (1935), speaking of a nest found in Kentucky, says : 



The entire nest, with the exception of bits of lichens that were added later, 

 was built in one day. It is interesting to note that both birds, male and female, 

 worked on this nest that first day. The male evidently was doing his share 

 of the work. This seems to be an unusual circumstance, as ordinarily the male 

 is supposed to scorn such menial duties. * * * 



It would seem that the time consumed in nest building diminishes as the 

 season progresses. Perhaps haste is necessary in order that the potential young 

 may be completely developed by the time of fall migration. This need for 

 haste may also have been the stimulant which caused the male in the last case 

 to assist in nidiflcation. 



Bendire (1895) says: "I believe two broods are frequently raised 

 in a season, occasionally three perhaps, as fresh eggs have been found 

 as late as August 7. An old nest is sometimes occupied for several 

 seasons and remodeled each year; and should the nest and eggs be 

 taken or destroyed, a second and occasionally even a third and fourth 

 attempt at nesting is made within about a week, and sometimes these 

 subsequent nests are built in the same tree again, or in others close 



by." 



Eggs. — [Author's note : Like other hummingbirds, the ruby throat 

 regailarly lays two eggs ; I have no record of more or fewer. An in- 

 terval of one day is said by Bendire (1895) to occur between the lay- 

 ing of the two eggs ; he says also that the eggs are often laid before 

 the nest is completed. The eggs are pure dead white without gloss 

 and usually elliptical-oval in shape, though occasionally approaching 

 elliptical-ovate, with one end slightly more pointed than the other. 

 The measurements of 52 eggs average 12.9 by 8.5 millimeters; the 

 eggs showing the four extremes measure 14.5 by 9.1, 11.5 by 8.2, and 

 12.7 by 7.8 millimeters.] 



Young. — Bradford Torrey (1892) describing the young humming- 

 birds newly hatched from eggs no bigger than a pea, says : "Two life- 

 less-looking things lay in the bottom of the nest, their heads tucked 



