Birds of Pennsylvania. 143 



Suborder TROCHIIil. Hummingbirds. 

 Family TROCHILID^. Hummingbirds. 

 Genus TROCHILUS. Linnveus. 

 428. Trochilus colubris Linn. 



Ruby-throated Hummingbird. 



Ddscription. 



Male. — Tail deeply forked, the feathers all narrow and pointed ; uniform metallic 

 green above ; sides of body greenish ; below white ; ruby-red gorget ; wings and tail 

 purplish-black. 



Female. — Metallic green of upper parts duller than in male ; tail double rounded; 

 its feathers pointed but broader than in male; no red on throat; the tail featliers 

 banded with black ; the lateral ones broadly'- tipped with Avhite. 



Young Male. — Ver}^ similar to adult female, but throat more or less streaked with 

 dark, tail also more forked than in female. Nearly all specimens show a trace of 

 metallic red on thi'oat. 



Young Female. — Throat white, without streaks or specks ; tail less forked, other- 

 wise similar to young male. Irides in old and young brown. Length about 3.25 

 inches ; extent of wings about 5 inches. 



Hab. — Eastern North America to the Plains, north to the fur countries, and south, 

 in winter, to Cuba and Veragua. 



Although fifteen distinct species of Hummingbirds are given by Dr. 

 Elliott Couet:, as occurring within the limits of the United States, only 

 one — the Ruby-throat — is found east of the Mississippi river. Hum- 

 mingbirds, as Dr. Coues observes, are peculiar to America. Species 

 are found from Alaska to Patagonia. In tropical South America, par- 

 ticularly New Granada, these beautiful feathered gems are most 

 abundant. There are, it is stated, over four hundred different species 

 of Hummers known to scientists. 



The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, the smallest of all our feathered 

 visitants, arrive in Pennsylvania about the first week in May and re- 

 mains until about the middle of September, when they migrate south. 

 This species is common during the winter in Florida, where they also, 

 it is said, breed. During the months of February, March and until 

 about the 20tli of April, I found these birds to be quite numerous in 

 the orange orchards along the St. John's river. Although Humming- 

 birds cannot be called gregarious, it is not at all uncommon, especially 

 in the spring, to see a flock of twenty or more of these birds feeding 

 among the flowers of some favorite tree. I have, at one time, counted 

 thirty odd Hummers, feeding, fighting and pluming themselves, among 

 the flowers of a single horse-chestnut tree. The Hummingbird never 

 alights on the ground, though it often rests on twigs and branches. 

 When sitting in trees or bushes it may frequently be observed to 

 spread out one wing and draw the quill-feathers through its bill. The 



