1 84 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



Many observers of that dainty little feathered 

 gem, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird — the sole 

 representative in the eastern States of its won- 

 derful family — have been treated to the remark- 

 able pendulum performance, which it is likely 

 to execute apparently for the purpose of fright- 

 ening away an intruder who has come too near 

 its nest. A similar act on a much smaller scale 

 seems to be included in the courtship demonstra- 

 tions of the Black-chinned Hummer of the west- 

 ern States. In this instance, the arc described 

 by the bird in front of the object of his afifec- 

 tions — usually perched motionless on a twig — 

 may be no more than a yard in length, and the 

 bird covers it by flying forward and backward, 

 the forward movement being checked apparently 

 by the quick spreading of its tail. Or, the move- 

 ment may be backward and then forward in a 

 sidewise position ; but both show the bird's 

 marvelous skill in the use of its wings and tail. 



There is ample proof that this bird feeds freely 

 upon insects, and often such as are caught by 

 gummy sap exuding from the black birch and 

 other trees. Poising in front of these sap-traps 

 — if they may be so termed — these Hummers 

 snap up the helpless insects ; as they return fre- 

 quently to these sources of food supply, they 



must rely upon them to some extent, though 

 evidently they feed also upon insects imprisoned 

 in flowers. 



In an article contributed to TJic Auk, Miss 

 Merriam (Airs. Bailey) described the clever and 

 interesting method followed by a female Hum- 

 mer of this species in building her nest. " The 

 peculiar feature of the building," she says, " was 

 the quivering motion of the bird in moulding. 

 AMien the material was placed, she moulded the 

 nest like a potter, twirling tremulously around 

 against the sides, sometimes pressing so hard she 

 ruflfed up the feathers of her breast. She shaped 

 the cup as if it were a piece of clay. To round 

 the outside she would sit on the rim and lean 

 over, smoothing the sides with her bill, often 

 with the same tremulous motion. When she 

 wanted to turn around in the nest she lifted her- 

 self by whirring her wings." The male took no 

 part in these building operations, and in fact did 

 not put in an appearance at all. Mrs. Hummer 

 did all of the work, and it took her just six days 

 to complete her beautiful little home, made 

 chiefly of yellow down taken from the under 

 side of sycamore leaves, with green lichen deco- 

 rations on the outside when the nest was placed 

 among green oak leaves. 



ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD 

 Calypte anna (Lesson) 



A. O. U. Number 431 



Other Name. — Anna's Hummer. 



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

 female, 4 inches. Head, rose-red ; upper parts, bronze- 

 green ; under parts, gray. 



Color. — .Adult Male: Whole head except hack and 

 car region, brilliant metallic rose-red, changing to 

 violet in certain lights, the rear side feathers of throat 

 elongated; a small spot or streak of white behind eye; 

 upper parts, metallic bronze-green, the upper tail- 

 coverts and middle pair of tail-feathers, similar but 

 usually less bronzy, or more bluish-green ; tail (except 

 middle pair of feathers), dark grayish, faintly glossed 

 with greenish-bronze ; wings, brownish-slate or dusky 

 faintly glossed with purplish ; chest, pale brownish-gray 

 or dull grayish-white ; rest of under parts, deeper 

 grayish, strongly glossed with metallic bronze-green 



laterally, the feathers margined with paler grayish ; 

 thigh tufts and conspicuous tuft on each side of rump, 

 white ; under tail-coverts, brownish-gray glossed with 

 bronze-green or greenish-bronze and broadly margined 

 with pale gray or grayish-white ; bill, dull black ; iris, 

 dark brown. Adult Female: Similar but crown like 

 back in coloration, and chin and throat usually with an 

 admixture of metallic red or purplish-red feathers, 

 sometimes with a considerable patch of metallic reddish. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest: Similar to that of the 

 Rufous Hummingbird, but covered with green moss and 

 lined witli plantdown. fur, or feathers. Eggs : .\lso similar. 



Distribution. — California in general (except parts 

 of northern coast district), and southward (as a resi- 

 dent) to coast district of northern Lower California; 

 during migration southeastward to southern Arizona. 



This little Hummer is quite restricted in its 

 range, living through central and southern Cali- 

 fornia inainlv west of the Sierra Nevadas. TJke 



the other Hummingbirds, it builds a beautiful 

 little nest, lining the cup on the inside with cot- 

 ton or plant down and shingling the outsides 



