396 THE RUFOUS HUMMER. 
General Range.—\Vestern North America from the Rocky Mountains to the 
Pacific, breeding south in mountainous regions to Arizona and north to Mount 
St. Elias and southwest Yukon ‘Territory; south in winter over the tablelands of 
Mexico. 
Range in Washington.—Common summer resident on the West-side from 
sea-level to timber-line ; less common on the eastern slopes of the Cascades; rare 
in the mountains of eastern Washington. 
Migrations.—S pring: March 15-April 15. 
Authorities.—? Trochilus rufus, Aud. Orn. Biog. IV. 1838, 555, pl. 372. 
Selasphorus rufus Swains, Baird, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. IX. 1858, p. 135. T. 
(Chess JERS Ie IDES Gira Islay, IRS IIS Jf. 18h, Ie 
Specimens.—U. of W. P. Prov. B. BN. E. 
THESE gaudily dressed little fellows, seemingly part and parcel of the 
sunshine itself, are by no means the delicate creations they appear to be. 
West of the Cascades they are, strange to say, among the very first of the 
spring arrivals from the South. ‘The vanguard always arrives by the last 
week of March, and sometimes as early as the middle of that month. East 
of the Cascades they are considerably later, and are not found in nearly so 
large numbers. They are seldom to be seen in greatest abundance, however, 
much before the middle of April. At this season certain bushes flower in 
profusion, and in these flowers the hummers find unlimited food and drink,— 
honey, and the innumerable tiny insects which it attracts. 
Wright Park, situated in the center of the city of Tacoma, has been very 
extensively planted with the decorative wild currant; and it is here that hum- 
mers may oftenest be seen in great numbers. It is not uncommon to see 
them by hundreds in this park, and often as many as twenty disport them- 
selves in and around a single bush. ‘They are the most pugnacious little 
creatures and are continually squabbling, the females being quite as quarrel- 
some as the males. Their war song is a penetrating squeak, or chirrup. 
The pausing of one of the birds to select some luscious insect from a cluster 
of flowers seems to be the signal for an onset from one or more of its fellows, 
when all squeak with greatest animation. One cannot help believing that 
this is more or less in the nature of play, for it is joined in by both the males 
and the females, and the one attacked never resents it in the least. Usually 
it describes a great circle in the air and descends into the center of some 
other bush, where it sits watching the others and occasionally preening its 
feathers. They are exceedingly tame at this season, and the bird-lover may 
seat himself under some flower-laden bush while these most beautiful little 
birds hover and perch within three or four feet of him. 
What appears to be the only other vocal accomplishment of this hummer 
is a somewhat long-drawn, rasping note, very loud and harsh for so small a 
bird. This is made by the male, and, curiously enough, it is the love song 
