lilKDS OF 



Hab. Eastern North America, north to Labrador and the F"ur 

 Countries, west to the Plains, and passing south of the United States in 

 winter. 



Nest, a basket of twigs glued together and to the .side of the chimney or 

 other support by the saliva of the bird. 



Eggs, 4 to 5 ; pure white. 



The Swift is a late comer, and while here seems ever 

 anxious to make up for lost time, being constantly on the wing, 

 darting about with great rapidity, sometimes high overhead, 

 sometimes skimming the surface of the pond, often so closely 

 as to be able to sip from the water as it passes over it, or snap 

 up the insects which hover on the surface. 



The original nesting place' of the Swifts was in a hollow tree. 

 often of large diameter, and frequented year after year by a 

 great many of the birds, but now they seem to prefer a city 

 chimne)'. There they roost and fasten their curious basket 

 nest to the wall a few feet down, to be out of reach of the rays 

 of the sun. A fine exhibition of bird life it is to watch the 

 Swifts, in the evening about sunset, circling a few times round 

 the chimney, raising their wings above their backs and 

 dropping like shuttla-cocks down to their nest, near which they 

 spend the night clinging to the wall with their claws. The 

 sharp spines at the end of the tail feathers, pressed against the 

 surface, form their chief support. 



The) arrive about the loth of May, and leave for the south 

 earlv in September. 



Suborder TROCHILl. Hummingbirds. 



Family TROCHILID^'E. Hummingbirds. 



Genus TROCHILUS Linn.^^us. 



Subgenus TROCHILUS. 



17H. TROCHILUS COLUBRIS Linn. 428. 



Ruby-throated Hummingbird. 



Male wiih the tail forked, its feathers all narrow and pointed ; no scales 

 on crown ; metallic gorget reflecting ruby-red, etc. ; above golden green ; 



'7-4 



