402 



THE CALLIOPE HUMMIXWIRD 



this nearly silent but always iK'antiful sjKfcies after tlie muse of eloquence. 

 Calliope? 



While it is true tiiat ilu* sjK-cies may be found in abundance thruout 

 the higher Cascades, and es|K-cially along their eastern slopes, it is hardly 

 iii-t u> <.iv with ncndirc. that "ilu- Calliope Hummingbird is a mountain- 

 loving species and during the breeding 

 season is rarely met with below alti- 

 tudes of 4.000 feet, and much more 

 frequently l>et\veen 6.500 to 8.000 

 feet."* We have found it commonly 

 in tlie northern and eastern jx^rtions 

 of Wasliington at much lower alti- 

 tudes, and have taken its nest in tlie 

 burning gorge of the Columbia at 

 an altitude of only six hundred feet. 

 In the mountains the bird knows no 

 restriction of range, save that it 

 avoids the heavily timlR're<l slo|)es <>f 

 the West-side: and it is at least as 

 common along the divide as is the 

 Rufous Mummer. 



Witliout doubt the mind rcmeml>ers 

 longest those birds wliich visit the 

 mountain heather be<ls. gorgeous with 

 flowers. an<l varie<l lieyond «lescrip- 

 tion. .\ bit of heather on Wright's 

 Peak at an elevation of S.ooo feet. 

 viel<led thirty-two si)ecies of plants in consjjicuous bl<xini witliin a stone's 

 throw of camp. The Hummers ap|)ear to lie attracted to the flower l)e<Is by 

 color and p<'>sition rather than by scent, and as sure as we neglected to rise 

 with the sun. a troop of ])uzzled honey-hunters hovered by turns over our 

 parti-colored blankets. Once a Hummer minutely insjiected a red iKindana 

 handkerchief which graced the bird-man's neck: and once. I regret to say it. 

 fluttered for some moments before his nose (sunburned!). 



The tower and dive of the Calliope Hummer pnxluces at its climax a 

 squeak of the tiniest and slirillest quality. It is a siglit well worth seeing 

 when one of these elfin gallants, flashing like a jewel and bursting with self- 

 consciousness, mounts slowly upward on vibrating wings to a height of a 

 hundred feet, then darts back with the speed of lightning to make an affec- 

 tionate jass at the placid lady on the twig below. The same tactics are 



,r -' -•,.- Plioio bf F. S. iU-'i 



CALLIOPE HUMMER. FEM.\LE. 



». IWndirr. Liff Hi»t \. A. Birds Vol. II . p. 119 



