BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD 471 



of her eggless nest, an unusual occurrence among hummingbirds, 

 Mr. Moore (MS.) writes : "It is true that her little majesty was never 

 real rude about it, for when I set up my camera without camouflage 

 this bit of animated lightning betrayed no resentment, flew straight 

 to the nest, twirled about on it two or three times, and showed no 

 irritation because of the huge eye of the graflex. Curiously enough, 

 the only time she really attacked was when I photographed her with 

 moving picture camera 20 yards from the nest, as she fed from the 

 scarlet flowers of the 'tavachin.' A formal visit to her home seemed 

 perfectly proper, but an intrusion at the dinner hour was the epitome 

 of rudeness. Even then the attack was only half-hearted, and 

 chronic good nature took possession immediately, as she whirled 

 from one brilliant flower to another. 



"A male broadbill was observed feeding from the 'tavachin' and, 

 although he several times flew within 10 feet of the nest tree, he 

 never landed on it, nor did the female appear to object to his feeding 

 20 feet away across the sandy wash. The broadbill is a common 

 bird of the region and the male bird might not have been the 'mate'. 

 Although the males of United States hummingbirds do not make 

 a practice of assisting about the nest, southern species often do. In 

 Ecuador I have observed the male as well as the female violet-ear 

 take turns incubating the same nest. Both individuals were col- 

 lected to prove this habit. 



"Such evidences of anger as the female exhibited were directed 

 not so much at me as at the large blue swallowtail that insisted on 

 appropriating the sweets from her flower garden. Several times 

 she, as well as the male, chased it away, but they did not attempt to 

 pursue the smaller butterflies. The flight of this bird from flower to 

 flower is so characteristic that it can be recognized at some distance. 

 Instead of darting straight to its object, as many hummingbirds do, 

 Cynanthus progresses with a somewhat jerky, irregular flight. At 

 least its short flight has an exceedingly nervous kind of movement, 

 the tail bobbing up and down, lacking the precision of the Rivoli's 

 undeviating course." 



Dr. Alexander Wetmore (1932) says: "The broad-bill seems 

 quieter and less active than some of the species that have been 

 described, and frequently, after aggressive flight in pursuit of some 

 intruder, I have seen the two combatants perch four or five inches 

 from one another for a few seconds, while with raised wings they 

 gave a low, chattering call." He also refers to the ordinary flight 

 as "accompanied by a subdued humming sound." The sound pro- 

 duced by this bird in flight, as I have heard it, is more like the 

 shriek of a passing bullet, far from subdued. 



