TROCIilLID.E -THE HUMMING-BIRDS. 40 



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westward to the city, and tlience southward to (luatemala, while tlirou^^hout 

 this region it is said to lie very wneruUv and very identifully distributed. 

 It was tirst taken, in IS.")!, l>y Mr. J. II. (lark, near El Paso, Texas. Suh- 

 seciuently numerous s}»eeiniens were seen l»y Dr. Coues on the summit of 

 Whipple's Pass oi" the Kocky ^Mountains, in July, feeding among clumps 

 of wild roses. It was not noticed near Fort Whipple, though the range 

 of this species is now well known to include Xew Mexic(» and Arizona, as 

 far north, at least, as Fort liridu:er in Wyoming:. It was found hreedinir 

 abundantly in the yicinity of Fort Grant, Arizona, by Dr. Palmer. 



This Ilumminij-Bird was found l»y l\lr. Allen more or less common among 

 the foot-hills, as well as among the mountains, of (.'olora(h>, and extending 

 seyeral miles out on the plains. On Mount Lincoln, in Colorado, he found 

 it exceedingly immerous, and though larger and otherwise dillerent from the 

 eastern liuby-throat, it might easily be mistaken for it. The shrill whistling 

 of its wings, he adds, is a peculiarity one is sure to notice. This Ilunnui '- 

 Bird continued to be connnon on the sides of Mount Lincoln to far above 

 the timber line, being apparently as much at home among the bright tlowers 

 growing on the highest parts of the mountain as in the y alleys. 



At Liike Talioe, at an eleyation of six thousand feet, l)r. Cooper f(»und 

 the young of this species quite common near the middle of Septend)er. 

 Supposing them to be the more common »S'. ri'fus, he only olitained a single 

 specimen. He thinks that these birds extend their northern migrations as 

 far as the Blue ^lountains, near Snake Piyer, Oregon, and that they are the 

 ones referred to by Xuttall as seen by him in autumn, and su])[)osed to be 

 the rvfua. 



The nests of this species ])rocured by Dr. Palmer were large for the size 

 of the bird, unusually broad and shallow, composed of soft downy i)a])pus 

 from seeds of plants, and yegetable down, with the outer walls coyered with 

 mosses and lichens. The e^jgs are not distinguishable from those of the 

 other species. 



The Pocky Mountain or Broad-tailed Hunnner, according to ^Ir. Pidg- 

 way's ol)seryations, is the most abundant species in the Great Basin, though 

 he did iiot see it to recognize it west of the East Huml)oldt Mountains. It 

 is essentially a bird of the mountains, since in that region there are few 

 flowers elsewhere ; yet in the gardens of Salt Lake City, an altitude far beloy/ 

 its usual habitat, it was abundant. Its fayorite resorts are the flowery 

 slopes of the higher and well-watered mountain-ranges of the Great Pasin 

 and Eocky ^lountain system, at an average eleyation of about eight or 

 nine thousand feet, yet it will be found whereyer flowers are alnindant. 

 Mr. Ridgway saw one at an altitude of about twelve thousand feet, in July, 

 on the East Humbrldt ^lountains, but it merely passed rapidly by liim. In 

 the Wahsatch ^lountains, particularly in the neighborhood of Salt Lake 

 Ci'^y, this species was most plentiful. It there nested abundantly in the 

 sc'ub-oaks on the hills or slopes of the canons. 



