560 ORNITHOLOGY. 



giouiul, in the rich valley of the lower Truckee, this was the only species of 

 Humming-bird found in August, at which time great numbers were seen 

 sporting in all their elegance and beauty among these flowers ; they dis- 

 played the greatest activity and grace of motion, and were ever restless and 

 moving, now chasing each other, then hovering in front of a golden flower 

 for a few moments, then off like a flash. Upon revisiting the same locality 

 in May and June of the following season, not one of this species was to be 

 found, its place being apparently entirely taken by the Black-chinned spe- 

 cies [Trochiliis alexandri). We next saw the Rufous-backed Hummer in the 

 fertile canons of the West Humboldt Mountains, where it was more or less 

 common in October. Eastward of the latter locality, the species was seen 

 only in Secret Valley, near the northern extremity of the East Humboldt 

 range, where it was much more rare than S. j)Jhtycercns, this point being 

 the most eastern to which it is known to extend, so far as we are at pres- 

 ent aware. It was not found during the breeding-season anywhere along 

 our route. 



List of specimens. 



124:, Sjuv.; Truckee Resorvation, Nevada, August G, 18G7. 3f^— 4^— IJ— li— 

 {I — I'g — 1 — |. Bill aud feet, black ; iris, dark brown. 



1)05, 3 juv.; East Humboldt Mountains (Camp 23;, September 8, 1868. 3| — i-^^ 



1 7 



SELASrHORUS PLATYCERCUS. 

 Broad-tailed IIiiiiiiiici-. 



(Pe' -esh-a-tse and Toowith' -e-kim' -hooah of the Shoshones.) 



Trochiius plafi/ccrcus, SWAINSON, Synop. Mex. Birds, Pliilos. Majj:., I, 1827, 441. 



Selasphiirus pJatycercnit, BoNAl'., Consi)., I, 1850, .S2. — liAiRD, B. N. Am., 1858, 135, 

 922; Cat. N. Am. B., 1859, No. 104.-Coopek, Oru. Cal., 1, 357.— CoUES, Key, 

 1872, 185; Check List, 1873, No. 278; Birds N.W., 1874, 271.— B. B & R., 

 Hist. N. Am. B., II, 1874, 402, pi. XLVii, fij,'. 5 — Hensuaw, 1875, 377. 



In traveling eastward across the Great Basin, we first encountered the 

 Broad-tailed Hummer on the Ruby Mountains, where it was very abundant 

 in July and August, on the flower-covered slopes of the upper cafions on 

 the eastern side of the range, in company with Stellula calliope; in Septem- 

 ber we found it associated with the latter species and Selasphonts nifiis in 



