BIRDS OF KANSAS. 351 



gether and fastened to the wall with an adhesive saliva from the 

 birds. Eggs usually four, . 75x.50; pure white; not highly 

 polished; in form, rather elliptical ovate. 



SUBORDER TROCHILL HUMMINGBIRDS. 



Secondaries only six; bill long as head, or longer, slender, the gape not deeply 

 cleft; plumage more or less metallic. (Ridgway.) 



FAMILY TROCHILID^l. HUMMINGBIRDS. 



"Least of all birds; sternum very deep; bill subulate and generally longer 

 than head, straight, arched or upcurved. Tongue composed of two lengthened 

 cylindrical united tubes, capable of great protrusion, and bifed at tip; nostrils 

 basal, linear, and covered by an operculum; wings lengthened, pointed; first 

 quill usually longest except in Aitkurus, where it is the second; primaries ten; 

 secondaries six; tail of ten feathers. Tarsi and feet very diminutive, claws very 

 sharp." 



GENUS TROCHILUS LINN.EUS. 



"Metallic gorget of throat nearly even all round. Tail forked; the feathers 

 lanceolate, acute, becoming gradually narrower from the central to the exterior. 

 Inner six primaries abruptly and considerably smaller than the outer four, with 

 the inner web notched at the end." 



SUBGENUS TROCHILUS. 



Exposed culmen less than half as long as wing, the bill straight. Middle 

 tail feathers narrower near end than at base. Exposed culmeu .60 or more; 

 outer tail feathers without white tips in adult males; outer tail feathers not de- 

 cidedly shorter than middle pair, and not conspicuously narrower than the next; 

 adult males with six innermost quills abruptly much smaller and narrower than 

 the rest, the top of head greenish like back, or dusky, the tail feathers (except 

 middle pair) pointed. (Ridgway.) 



Trochilus colubris LINK. 



RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD. 

 PLATE XXIII. 



Summer resident; common in the eastern portion of the State. 

 Arrive the last of April to first of May;, begin laying the last 

 of May; the bulk leave in September; a few remain into Octo- 

 ber. 



B. 101. H. 335. C. 409. G. 161, 167. U. 428. 



HABITAT. Eastern North America; west to the high central 

 plains; north into the fur countries, and south in winter to 

 Cuba, and through eastern Mexico to Veragua. 



