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BIRDS OF AMERICA 



Of its diminutive family the Blue-throated 

 Hummer is the largest member which may be 

 considered an American bird, and this claim is 

 none too firmly established, since it isf after all, 

 essentially a bird of Mexico, and Central Amer- 

 ica, and favors Uncle Sam's domain only to the 

 extent of appearing in southern Arizona. In 

 other respects, too, this bird is unlike the Hum- 

 mers who are more nearly American in their 



range and habits. For, besides being larger 

 (about two inches longer than the common Ruby- 

 throat of the eastern States), it is less active 

 and generally more sedate in its demeanor. It 

 even ventures a little song in the form of a 

 faint twitter, which at least is the most elaborate 

 vocal performance of its species in this country. 

 It has a truly Oriole-like manner of searching 

 for food in the blossoms of the big agave trees. 



RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD 

 Archilochus colubris (Liniums) 



A. O. U. Number 428 See Color I'late 66 



Other Names. — Hummingbird ; Common Humming- 

 bird ; Hunnner ; Ruby-throat. 



General Description. — Length: male, 3'4 inches; 

 female, 3); inches. Upper parts, bronze-green; under 

 parts, red, bronze-green, and white. 



Drawing by R. I. Brasher 



RDBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD 



(i nat. size) 



A feathered midget who does not hesitate to tackle 

 a big Hawk 



ish ; lores, dusky ; cheeks and under parts, dull grayish- 

 white or very pale brownish-gray (usually more 

 decidedly whitish on chin, throat, and cheeks), the 

 flanks and shorter under tail-coverts usually tinged 

 with pale buffy-brownish ; thigh tufts and tuft on each 

 side of rump, white; bill, etc., as in adult male. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest: An exquisite cup, less 

 than two inches across, of felted plant, fern, or dande- 

 lion-seed down, covered so perfectly with moss and 

 lichens and fastened with spider webs as to appear a 

 mere protuberance on the limb, and lined with a 

 layer of the finest down. Eccs : 2, pure white. 



Distribution. — Eastern North America ; north, regu- 

 larly to southern Labrador, Quebec, Ontario, and 

 Keewatin (to about latitude 52°), and in the interior 

 to northern and central Alberta ; west to about middle 

 portion of Great Plains (along streams) ; breeding 

 southward to middle Florida and along the Gulf coast 

 to west-central Texas ; wintering from middle and 

 southern Florida and southern Texas southward 

 through southern Mexico and Central America to 

 Panama ; casual in Cuba in migration. 



Color. — Adult Male: Above, metallic bronze-green, 

 including middle pair of tail-feathers; wings, dark 

 brownish-slate or dusky, faintly glossed with purplish; 

 tail (except middle pair of feathers), dark bronzy- 

 purplish or purplish bronzy-black; chin, cheeks, region 

 below the eyes, and the sides of head, velvety-black ; 

 a small spot back of eye, white; whole throat, brilliant 

 metallic red changing to golden or even greenish in 

 different lights ; chest, dull brownish-white or very pale 

 bufify brownish-gray, passing gradually into deeper 

 brownish-gray on breast and abdomen, the sides and 

 flanks darker and overlaid by metallic bronze-green ; 

 thigh tufts and tuft on each side of rump, white; under 

 tail-coverts, brownish-gray (sometimes glossed with 

 greenish-bronze) centrally, broadly margined with dull 

 white; bill, dull black; iris, dark brown. Adult 

 Female: Above, metallic bronze-green, golden-green, 

 or greenish-bronze, including middle pair of tail- 

 feathers ; three outer ones on each side, broadly tipped 

 with white, metallic bronze-green for basal half, the 

 intervening portion black ; wings, dark brownish-slate 

 or dusky faintly glossed with purplish ; a small spot of 

 dull white back of eye; sides of head, deep dull gray- 



Photu by H. K. Job Courtesy of Outing Pub. Co. 



AN INTERRUPTED MEAL 



Ruby-throated Hummingbird and young 



