THE CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD. 219 



77. Stellula calliope (Gould). 



CALLI<)1>E HUMMINGBIRD. 



Trochilus [Galothorax] calliope (Iould, rroceediiiss Zoological Society, 1847, 11. 

 Stellula calliope (Iould, Iiitrodiictiou to the Trocliilida', ISCl, 90. 



(B — , C 282, R 343, C 417, U 43fi.) 



G-EOGBAPHICAL KANGE : Mouiitainous regiou.s of western JSTortb America; north to 

 British Columbia., Idaho, and Montana; east to the Rocky Mountains; south, through Cal- 

 ifornia, Arizona, and New Mexico, over tlie table-lands, to the Valley of Mexico and the 

 State of Guerrero, Mexico. 



The Calliope Hummingbird is the smallest of tlie TrochiUdfC found within 

 tlu! United States; l)ut, notwithstanding its diminutive size, it is (|uite hanh, ami, 

 on the Pacific Coast at least, it is found 3° or 4° nortli of our houn.lary. In 

 British Cohnn])ia, according to Mr. Jolni J'annin, it is said to t)ccxn" on both 

 slopes of the Cascades, and it will undoubttHlly yet be recorded from the Prov- 

 ince of Alberta, as it is found )).>tli in northern Washington, Idalio, and Montana. 

 I have taken it at Fort Colville, AVasliington, near tlie Yuur, and lia.ve seen it on 

 Pond d'Oreille Lake, in Idaho; while Dr. C. Hart Merriam took an adult feiiiah^ 

 near Fort Ellis, Montana, on July 3, 1872, where it was undouljtedly l)reeding. 

 Mes.srs. Richmond and Knowlton obtained an immature bird on August 12, 1888 

 at Bear Creek, aud Mr. R. S. Williams records a specimen from Gold Run, in 

 the Belt Mountains, on May 24, 1882; he writes me that he has also observed 

 it near Columljia Falls, thus showing that this species is pretty generally dis- 

 trilKited over the more mountainous and western portions of the State of Montana. 

 These points, according to our present knowledge, mark tlie northern limits of 

 its known range. I have 1)een unable to find any records of its occurrence in 

 either Wyoming or Colorado; but as it is known to l)e a summer resident 

 in various parts of both Utah and northern New Mexico, it will probabh- vet be 

 found along the we.stern slopes of the Rocky 3Iountains in these two States. It 

 is known to occur in the mountains of California, Arizona, and New Mexico, as 

 well as in suitable localities in the intervening regions, and as already stated 

 extends southward over the table-lands of Mexico. Its breeding range is coex- 

 tensive with its geographical distribution in the United States. 



The Calliope Hunimingliird is a mountain-loving species, and during- the 

 breeding season is rarely met with below ^altitudes of 4,000 feet, and iiuu-h 

 more frequently between G,500 to 8,000 feet. Its fixvorite resorts are the open 

 timlier found about the edges of mountain meadows and parks, and the rocky 

 hillsides covered here and there with straggling pines and small asjien groves. " 

 ^ Mr. F. Stephens writes me: ''Stellula calliope is a rare summer resident in 

 California, at least as far south as the San Bernardino Mountains, where I found 

 two nests in 1885. Each contained young recently hatched. The first nest was 

 found May 24, in the canyon of the Santa Anna River, at about 3,000 feet alti- 

 tude, which must be exceptionally low. The female was seen on the nest; it was 

 driven off" and shot, aud the skin preserved, so that the identification is unques- 

 tionable. 



