youiij;" in this Iciulor stale, wlicn thcx' arc coxcrcd only with a sofi iiairy down of 

 surprising delicacy. In very rainy seasons, turkeys are scarce, for if once com- 

 pletely wetted, the young seldom reco\er. To prevent the disastrous effects of 

 rainy weather, the mother, like a skillful physician, ])lncks the buds of the spice- 

 wood hush and gives them to her young. 



Jn about a fortnight the young ])irds which had i)reviously rested on the 

 ground, leave it and fly at night to some very large low branch, where they place 

 themselves under the deeply curved wings of the mother, dividing themselves for 

 that purpose into nearly equal parties. After this they they leave the woods 

 during the day and approach the natural glades or prairies, in search of straw- 

 berries and late dewberries, blackberries and grasshoppers, thus obtaining abun- 

 dant food, and enjoying the sunshine. They roll themselves in deserted ants' 

 nests, to clear their growing feathers of loose scales, and to prevent ticks and 

 other vermin from attacking them, these insects ])eing unable to bear the odor of 

 earth in which ants have been. The young turkeys now grow rapidly, and in the 

 month of August are able to secure themselves from imexpected attacks of 

 wolves, foxes, lynxes, and even cougars. ])v rising quickly from the ground, being 

 helped by their ])f)\\erfu] legs, and reaching with ease the highest Ijranchc- of 

 the tallest trees. 



Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphoms mfus) 



Length, from 314. to 3% inches. The reddish i)rown body color, red and 

 green gorget, and the notch in tail feathers serve to distinguish this species 

 from our other hummers. 



Range: Breeds from the Alaskan coast, east central British Columliia, and 

 southern Alberta south to the mountains of central California, and southern 

 Idaho. 



( )ne can ])Ut wonder at the hardihood of this little wanderer from the tropics 

 in including in its summer itinerary a journe)- to distant Alaska. It reaches a 

 latitude of 61°, much farther north than any other of its kind. In favored 

 glades of the forests in the Rock Mountains and the .Sierras during the migra- 

 tion this and other species of hummers are to be seen literally by hundreds. The 

 rufous hummer has teniper and courage to match its fiery httes. and spends no 

 small i)art of its time doing battle with its fellows. The contestants after several 

 fierce rounds fly away not only fit but eager for another fray on the first occasion. 

 In addition to the nectar of flowers, its standard fare, this hummer includes in 

 its diet "honey dew," the sugary secretion of ])lant lice which is deposited on 

 vegetation. Like all other hummers it eats large numlters of minute insects which 

 it finds inside the flowers. It is interesting to note that hummingbirds discover 

 the flowers they frequent by sight alone and any bit of bright color in the 

 distance is sure to attract their notice, as a l,'«right red handkerchief on a bush 

 or about the neck. More than once I have observe<l them poising within a few 

 inches of my head e\i(lently cndeaxoring to ascertain the iiature of the red 



handkerchief I wore. 



164 



