THE OOLOGIST. 



47 



A peculiar habit of many of the spe- 

 ies of Hummingbird inhabiting the 

 United States may be described as fol- 

 lows, The male observes another bird' 

 probably of its own species or other- 

 wise, perched in some exposed position; 

 he will then mount perpendicularly to 

 a height of forty or fifty feet, then with 

 a headlong swoop he plunges down- 

 ward at the object of his wrath; as he 

 approaches his foe he rises again in a 

 sharp curve to mount on high and re- 

 peat again and again the maneuver. 

 Upon nearing the object of attack he ut- 

 ters a shrill shriek of deliauce which 

 grows louder and louder as he descends 

 and dies away as he mounts again. 



In California, especially where the 

 Hummingbirds are numerous, we may 

 occasionally see one of these tiny creat- 

 ures sittmg upon some prominent 

 perch engaged in warbling in a shrill 

 weak tune a continuous melody for 

 several minutes. This song, if it may 

 be called such, is rather monotonous, 

 and can scarcely be heard more than 

 forty or fifty feet away. 



In performing its ablutions, a Hum- 

 mingbird usually resorts to a water- 

 fall where it dashes hurriedly through 

 the spray a couple of times thus thor- 

 oughly welting its plumage. The spray 

 of a l:iwn sprinkler is also resorted to 

 for this purpose. Where a spray can- 

 not be found the bird will pass rapidly 

 over a body of water striking the sur- 

 face with its feet and breast. After 

 thus wetting its plumage the bird will 

 repair to some convenient porch where 

 it will preen its plumage. Then en- 

 gaged in this task, and it is one which 

 they seen to delight in, it will assume 

 many graceful attitudes in which its 

 gorgeous dress is shown to great ad- 

 vantage. It will spread one wing at a 

 time and carefully pass each quill feath- 

 er through its bill for its entire length, 

 .several minutes will be spent opening 

 and closing its wings and tail, rufHing 

 its feathers, and arranging its plumage. 



The Hummingbirds are very pugnac- 

 ious and wage incessant warfare on all 

 species of birds, as well as among them- 

 selves. They establish themselves in 

 certain 'areas and will permit no in- 

 truders upon their domain. During the 

 nesting season they indiscriminately as- 

 sail any bird that approaches the vicin- 

 ity of their nests. Frequently when 

 two Hummingbirds meet about a bed 

 of flowers a battle will ensue: the battle 

 will be sustained in mid-air, the pigmy 

 belligerents mounting higher and high- 

 er, sweeping each other by the bill and 

 whirling around and around till the 

 one receiving the worst of the tight 

 darts away with the victor in hot pur- 

 suit,and the latter never relinquishes the 

 defeated combatant of doubling, turn- 

 ing, and hiding finally succeeds in 

 making good its escape. The conquer- 

 er will then return to the feast that his 

 valor has won, or, mounting guard up- 

 on some prominent twig, with his glow- 

 ing breast turned to the sun and pre- 

 senting all the radiant colors of the 

 emerald, the ruby, and the sapphire, he 

 will await his opponents return. 



These Lilliputian battles are continu- 

 ed all day long, the females participat- 

 ing with all the ardor displayed by the 

 males; and were the strength of these 

 pigmy combatants at all commensurate 

 with their fur}^ their continuous war- 

 fare would almost extinguish the fam- 

 ily. But fortunately, with all the fury 

 of those, conflicts their puny strength is 

 such that scarcely a feather is detached 

 from their resplendent plumage. After 

 each battle the indomitable spirit of 

 the vanquished prompts his return and 

 another contest ensues. Sometimes 

 they suspend hostilities long enough to 

 suck a few flowers, but mutual proxi- 

 minity is bound to bring on the contest 

 again . 



The Anna's Hummingbird, the most 

 common species we have in California, 

 is perhaps the most beautiful of North 

 American Hummingbirds and is quite 



