202 THE STORY OF A BIRD LOVER 



appearance. In the bright glare of the burning 

 sunshine, this little bird, when hovering in the 

 air in pursuit of its invisible prey, seems the very 

 essence and genius of fire. 



At two points not far distant from the house 

 I found pairs of zone-tailed hawks breeding, 

 soon after my arrival. The white-necked raven 

 was frequently seen, and its hard guttural croak 

 often heard, while the raven proper was not 

 so common. Humming-birds darted everywhere, 

 and at least two kinds were nesting, while several 

 others were often noticed. The black-chinned 

 humming-bird is almost precisely like our ruby- 

 throat of the East, save that the gorget appears 

 black, but when seen in the proper light reveals a 

 deep royal purple. The other, Costa's hummer, 

 rather smaller than ours, besides having a beauti- 

 ful violet cap and throat, has this exquisite color 

 extended in a point downward on either side of 

 the neck. It always made me think of a dandy 

 with a fine flowing beard of gorgeous tint, care- 

 fully parted in the middle and brushed to points 

 on either side. 



The hooded oriole is a golden bird, relieved by 

 black, something like an orchard oriole in shape, but 

 even more slender ; and it is a little larger. These 

 orioles were present everywhere in the trees along 

 the river. Yellow-headed titmice were breeding 

 on the mesas to the south of the river and in 



