RIDGWAY ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 43 



On the 9th, another nest was discovered in the same way. This 

 time it was built in a greasewood three feet from tlie ground and 

 contained two eggs in which incubation was commenced. 



On the 13th, I found hummingbirds abundant along a httle 

 stream at the base of the mountains. Three-fourths of those seen 

 were ?, and, apparently T. Costce. All were in active motion so 

 that it was difficult to get such as I wanted. T. rufus and T. 

 alleni were pugnacious as usual but costce held its own well. The 

 ? were sharp temj^ered too, as if the excitement of moving had 

 had its usual effect. The next day alleni and rufus were all gone, 

 alexandri^ however, still remained, though costce was still in much 

 greater number. 



The $ of the latter species keep up a pretty constant vocal 

 noise while feeding, which somewhat resembles the buzz of their 

 wings. The feeding note of the 5 is finer and not as frequently 

 heard. 



The note of T. alexajidri^ both ^ and $, is similar to that of 

 the 9 costce. I have heard the song of each, but it was some time 

 since, and, as I remember it, there w^as little difference between the 

 two species. I think that the males are the only ones who sing. 

 The song is sweet and very low, but if it is perfectly quiet around, 

 it can be distinctly heard for a distance of ten yards. As might be 

 expected from the size of the bird, it is on a very high key, some- 

 thing like the sound produced by whistling between the teeth, very 

 low, yet at a high pitch. It might be called a warble and I have 

 heard it kept up for several minutes at a time. At such times I 

 have never been able to find a $ in the vicinity and have come to 

 the conclusion that it was sung for the individuals own amusement. 



The courtship-song, if such it may be called, is a very different 

 affair. We will take T. costce for example: the $ is setting on a 

 twig in a low brush, not on an exposed twig as is often the case 

 when she is merely resting, but when the ^ begins she goes further 

 in, as if she feared that he really intended mischief, while he rises 

 high in the air, and, with a headlong swoop, comes down, passmg 

 her and turning with a sharp curve as near her as is possible mounts 

 on high to repeat the manoeuvre again and again. A shrill whistle 

 is heard as he -begins to descend, starting low and becoming louder 

 and louder, until, as he passes her, it becomes a shriek which is 

 plainly audibly for a distance of loo yards or more. As he mounts 

 again it dies away only to be repeated at the next descent. This is 

 a common manoeuvre with the species. 



