ANNA'S HUMMINGBlllJ). 209 



haps au hour. Later on the nests were huiU jihnost niivwhere. As ;i rule, the 

 ■ early Hummers here build iu cypress (often called 'cedar') trees, and the nests 

 are usually lined with feathers. I suppose this is due to the lack of vegetable 

 down, which is plentiful later, for I have never found a late nest lined with 

 feather.s. A nest found on February 22 Avas lined with red cow hair and looked 

 quite odd. Other of these early nests were lined with Western Bluebird's or 

 Western Robin's feathers, while one contained a large feather of some Owl." 



The nests are most often placed on low branches or twigs overhanging 

 water courses, iu sycamore, maple, cottonwood, alder, or sumach trees or bushes, 

 at no great distance from the water; and again they may be found iu cypress, 

 Australian blue gum, elder, box elder, and in orchard trees, such as orange, peach, 

 and plum. In Lower California Mr. A. W. Anthony found it also nesting in 

 cholla cactus. Nests are sometimes placed within a foot of the ground, and 

 others fully 35 feet u\), the average being from 8 to 15 feet. They may be 

 saddled on a. small, drooping limlj, or placed in the forks of small twigs; in 

 either case they are substantially biult structures and well secured to theii 

 surroundings. 



Only two eggs are Lud to a set, and these, like all Jluunningbird's eggs, 

 are dull white in color and elliptical oval in sha})e. Incubation lasts from four- 

 teen to sixteen days, and the male does not assist in this duty. 



The average measurement of twenty-four specimens is 13.29 by 8.7G milli- 

 metres, or about 0.52 by 0.3-1 inch. The largest egg measures 14.22 by 8.8!> 

 millimetres, or 0.56 by 0.35 inch; the smallest, 12.70 by 8.38 millimetres, or 

 0.50 by 0.33 inch. 



The type specimen, No. 21748 (not figured), from a set of two eggs, Ben- 

 dire collection, was taken by Mr. William A. Cooper, near Santa Cruz, Cali- 

 fornia, ou May 14, 1872. 



73. Selasphorus floresii Gould. 



FLORESI'S HUMMINGBIRD. 



Selasphorus floresii Gould, Monograph of the Troehilida', Pt. XXII I, September 1, ISfil, 

 n. 10; and Vol. 3, LSOl, I'l. 13<.». 



(B — , (J — , K — , C — , U 4;;i.l.) 



Geographical range: Southwestern Mexico, Jali.sco, and Oaxaca; accidental to 

 California. 



Floresi's Hunnuingbird or Flame-bearer, an extpiisitely plumaged species, 

 can be considered only as an accidental straggler within the l)oi-ders of the 

 United States, and still remains very rare in collections. It was obtained at 

 Bolanos, Oaxaca, Mexico, in 1845, and remained iuii(pie for some time. More 

 recently it has been reported from the State of Jalisco, and ^Ir. Walter p], 

 Bryant found a specimen in ii taxidermist's shop iu San Francisco, California, 



16896 -No. 3 14 



