236 TEXAS AND ARIZONA 



different from thousands of others in all those 

 miles and miles of country, all so exactly alike, 

 beside that particular bush, itself like thousands 

 of others, if my confidence seems presumptu- 

 ous, as to many readers I dare say it will, I can 

 only profess that it was based upon no small ac- 

 quaintance with the ruby-throat's habit of fre- 

 quenting day after day the same tree, and even 

 the same twig, as a resting-place, or post . of ob- 

 servation. It was not at all unlikely, I reasoned, 

 that the black-chin's habit would prove to be 

 similar. At any rate, there was no harm in pro- 

 ceeding upon that hypothesis. 



I went at once to the place, therefore, took 

 a favorable position with the sun at my back, 

 focused my eight-power glass to a nicety upon 

 the topmost twig of the mesquite bush (quarter 

 seconds might be precious), and waited. As the 

 capable reader has already divined, the bird did 

 not fail me, nor keep me long in suspense. There 

 was a sound of wings, and in another instant the 

 hummer stood on the top spray of the mesquite. 

 And his crown was black, like his throat. He 

 could not be alexandri. But before I had time 

 to take in the full awkwardness of my dilemma 

 since I had already ruled the other seven 

 species out of the account the bird turned his 

 head to one side, the sun struck him at the right 



