HUMMINGBIRDS 303 



Suborder TROCHILI. Hummingbirds. 



Family TROCHILIDiE. Hummingbirds. 

 Genus TROCHILUS Linnaeus. 



Subgenus TROCHILUS. 



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428. Trochilus colubris Linn. Ruby-throated Humming- 

 bird. 



Plumage of adult male ; wings and tail fuscous with a purplish iridescence ; 

 other upper parts a beautiful metallic green ; throat ruby red with metallic 

 or iridescent reflections ; upper breast whitish ; belly dusky ; sides greenish 

 tinged. Plumage of adult female : ruby red throat patch wanting, otherwise 

 more or less similar. Wing 1.56 ; culmen 0.69. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern North America, breeding from Florida to Labrador 

 and westward to the Plains ; wintering from southern Florida to the West 

 Indies and Central America. 



County Records.— Androscoggin ; fairly common summer resident, (John- 

 son). Aroostook; fairly common summer resident, (Knight). Cumberland; 

 common summer resident, (Mead). Franklin; common summer resident, 

 (Swain). Hancock; common summer resident, (Knight). Kennebec ; com- 

 mon summer resident, (Gardiner Branch). Knox: summer resident, (Rack- 

 liff). Oxford; breeds commonly, (Nash). Penobscot; fairly common 

 summer resident, (Knight). Piscataquis; common, (Homer). Sagadahoc; 

 common summer resident, (Spinney). Somerset; quite common summer 

 resident, (Morrell). Waldo; common summ.er resident, (Knight). Wash- 

 ington; abundant summer resident, (Boardman). York; summer resident; 

 (Adams). 



The Ruby-throat is a common summer resident, generally 

 distributed throughout the State in the wilderness and even 

 on the very outer wooded islands of the coast. Though 

 occasionally arriving in the spring as early as May 10, the 

 more usual date is about May 20, and in fall the majority are 

 gone by September 10, rarely a few stragglers remaining up 

 to even October 1. 



These tame little birds are frequently seen in gardens hover- 

 ing over nasturtiums and honeysuckles as well as other flowers 

 from which they are engaged in extracting the sweets and 

 small insects as well. Occasionally one will alight to preen 

 itself and sway on a slender limb in the sun, soon to take flight 



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