428 BULLETIN 17 6, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Field, marks. — The small size of the calliope hummingbird will 

 help to distinguish it from others, when the opportunity for com- 

 parison is favorable. The male is, of course, easy to recognize by 

 the long, spreading, metallic-purple feathers against the snow-white 

 background of its gorget. Aside from its small size, the female can 

 be distinguished from the three species with which it is most likely 

 to be associated by the amount of rufous in the tail; in the female 

 calliope all but the central pair of rectrices have some rufous at the 

 base; in the rufous female all the rectrices are more or less basally 

 rufous; in the female broad-tailed only the three outer feathers are 

 so marked; and in the female black-chinned there is no rufous in 

 the tail. 



Fall. — The males start on the southward migration rather early in 

 the summer, or at least desert the females and move away from the 

 breeding grounds. The females and young follow later. In the 

 Tosemite region Grinnell and Storer (1924) saw no males after the 

 end of June. Henshaw (1886), referring to New Mexico, says: "An 

 utterly unaccountable fact noticed in connection with this species 

 was the apparent rarity of females. Up to August 10 I had seen 

 perhaps half a dozen, though constantly on the watch for them, while 

 I had certainly seen not less than ten times that number of males. 

 Subsequently to that date I saw a few more, but nothing like the 

 number of males. By September the young were numerous in cer- 

 tain localities, notably in a large sunflower patch." 



Of the migration in the Huachuca Mountains, Arizona, Harry S. 

 Swarth (1904) writes: "After the summer rains the mountains pre- 

 sent an exceedingly inviting appearance, particularly so in the higher 

 parts, along the ridges and on various pine covered 'flats,' where, 

 with the green grass, a multitude of brilliantly colored wild flowers 

 springs up, often waist high, and in many places in solid banks of 

 bright colors. In such places, in the late summer of 1902, I found 

 the Calliope Hummingbird quite abundant, feeding close to the 

 ground, and when alighting usually choosing a low bush. * * * 

 The first one was shot August 14, and from then up to the time we 

 left the mountains, September 5, they remained abundant in certain 

 localities ; none being seen below 9000 feet." 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — ^Western North America and Mexico. 



Breeding range. — The breeding range of the calliope hummingbird 

 extents north to southern British Columbia (150-mile House, Okana- 

 gan Landing, and Deer Park); and southwestern Alberta (Banff). 

 East to southwestern Alberta (Banff) ; Montana (Fortine, Poison, 



