242 NOTES ON THE 



the last one I met being on a rosebush at the border of the 

 main walk from the street into a neighbor's house. For the 

 exposed situation, it was a little exceptional, but it contained 

 two very tiny, translucent, pure-white eggs, the patent number 

 for the species. Its habits are too well known, and character- 

 istic, to require consideration, except to say that the species 

 has evidently greatly increased in numbers since I first came 

 to the country. 



I have found it almost universally distributed, but much more 

 numerous about the fields, gardens and dwellings, than in the 

 wilder sections of the State. Individuals of the species linger 

 occasionally far into October, as in one or two instances, they 

 have made their appearance in April, and then disappeared 

 again until the usual time for their arrival. The latest depar- 

 ture recorded by any correspondent was Sept. 22, 1884, by Dr. 

 Hvoslef at Lanesboro. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Tail deeply forked, the feathers all narrow lanceolate acute; 

 uniform metallic green .above; a ruby -red gorget with no con- 

 spicuous ruff; a white collar on the throat; sides of bodjj^ green- 

 ish. 



Length, 3.25; wing, 1.60; tail, 1.25; bill, 0.65. 



Habitat, eastern North America to the plains. 



