^ RIEFFER'S HUMMINGBIED. 223 



79. Amazilia fuscicaudata (Fraser). 



RIEFFER'S HUMMINGBIRD. 



TrocJdlus ftiscicaudatm Fraser, Proceedings Zoological Society, 1840 17. 

 Amazilia fmcicamlata EiDdWAY, Proceedings IT. S. National Musenm, I, 1878 147. 



(B — , G — , R 345, C 419, U 438.) 



Geographical range: Northern South Aincrica.from Ecuador and Colombia, north 

 through Central America and eastern Mexico, to the lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas. 



Rieffer's Humiriing-blrd, a coinni..u (jeuti-al American species, (-laims a i)laco 

 ill our fauna from the fact that a single specimen has been taken at Fort Broxvn, 

 Texas. Tliis was hrono-]it ahve t.. Dr. James C. Merrill, United States Army,' 

 for examination, in June, 187G, by one of tlie soldiers, and a careful descripti.ii'i 

 of it was made by the Doctor at the time, as the man wanted to keep it; but it 

 shortly afterwards escaped from him. As it has not been obtained since then 

 in the lower Rio Grande Valley, notwithstanding- the fact that considerable 

 collecting has been done there, it can oiih' be considered as a straggler a\ itliin 

 our borders. 



Mr. Charles W. Richmond has kindly furnished me with the foIl(.A\ing- 

 interesting notes on tliis species: 



"Amazilia fimianuMa is extremely al)mulaiit in tlie lowlands of eastern 

 Nicaragua. It outnumbers in individuals all of the other (Hve) species <.f 

 Hummingbirds found in the same region. ( )n the Escondido River this species 

 is confined to the banana plantations an<l tlie slirubbery around the houses, 

 where it finds an abundance of food and good nesting sites. It is the plantation 

 Hummer, only two other species occasionally wandering into tlie plantations 

 from the forest, which is the home of the other species. This Hummingbird is 

 inquisitive, like some other Hummers, and often poises 2 or 3 feet frcmi one, 

 changing its position on any conspicuous ino\enient from the object of its curi- 

 osity, and when satisfied darts off at great speed, uttering a succession of 

 shrill chirps. Its nest is frequently placed in small orange, lemon, or lime trees, 

 near houses, 4 or 5 feet from the ground. The bir.l selects any desirable site 

 for a nest, in fact often building it close to the end of the hmb of a bamboo 

 hanging out over the river or creek, and in this case usuallv 6 or more feet 

 above the water. The exterior of the nest is often covered with moss, which in 

 this damp region remains green during the- occupancy of the nest and for a 

 long time afterwards, giving it a very pretty appearance. A nest found in 

 October had just been deserted by the young birds, one found late in November 

 contained fresh eggs, one found about the middle of Ja-iuary contained eggs 

 iiearl}' iresli,^ and another one found the same day was in course of construc- 

 tion. The Spaniards here call Hummingbirds 'garrion.'" 



Mr. George K. Cherrie, in his Preliminary List of the Hirds of San Jose, 

 Costa Rica, in speaking of Rieffer's Ilummingbird, says: "The most abundant 

 species about San Jose, and, indeed, the most abundant species found on either 



