562 ORNIXnOLOGY. 



on the mountains, to pass throu<ih the haunts of this Hummer, it frequently 

 happened that one of the httle creatures, prompted apparently by curiosity, 

 would approach close to us and remain poised in one spot, its wings vibra- 

 ting so rapidly as to appear as a mere haze around the body ; now and 

 then it would shift from one side to another, its little black eyes sparkling 

 as it eyed us intently. So close would it finally approach that to strike it 

 with the hat or a stick seemed to be quite an easy matter, but upon the 

 slightest motion on our part the little thing would vanish so quickly that 

 its direction could scarcely be traced. 



On the mountains we found many nests of this Humming-bird, every 

 one of them being discovered by frightening the female from off her eggfi 

 or young. They Avere variously situated, most of them being in the scrub- 

 oaks on the slopes of thu hills; many were in willows or other buslies bor- 

 dering the streams, and not a few on drooping twigs of cotton-wood trees, 

 along the water-courses. One of those which we secured (No. 1377) affords 

 good evidence of the possession by this bird of a high degree of instinct, if 

 not an ap})roach to reason. This nest was built upon a dead twig of a 

 small cotton-wood ; tlie bark of this twig gradually loosened, and after the 

 eggs were -laid slipped around (perhaps by the parent bird alighting upon 

 one edge of the nest), so that the nest was turned round to the under side 

 of the limb and the eggs thrown out. Instead of abandoning this nest, 

 however, the sharp little owners built an addition to it, making another 

 complete nest on the upper side, which was now secured in position by the 

 superior weight of the more bulky pendant one.^ 

 List of specimenn. 



003, $ ad; Salt Lake City, May 20, 18G9, (City Creek Cauon). 4—45. Bill and 

 feet blaek ; iris, dark sepia. 



, 1042, S ad.; Salt Lake City, May 24, 1SG9. 4—5. Same remarks. 



10.")4, S ad; Salt Lake City, May 2G, 18G!). 4— 4i|. Same remarks. 



1()G4, (?«(?.; Salt Lake City, May 29, 18G9. 4— 4J';i. Same remarks. 



1272, ? ad; Parley's Park, Juue 23, 1SG9. ■i^—oi'^. (Caught iu a tent during a 

 Lard shower.) 



1311, iad; Parley's Park, June 28, 18G9. 4. 



iJn Gould's Introduction to the Trochilida {[)agc 20), it is stated that certain South 

 American Humming-Birds adjust the equilibrium of their uests by weighting tho 

 lighter side with a small stone or bit of hard earth 1 



