184 BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



Habitat. Eastern North America to the plains, north to the Fur countries, and 

 south, in winter, to Cuba and Veragua. 



Although fifteen distinct species of humming-birds are given by Dr. 

 Elliott Coues, as occurring- within the limits of the United States, only 

 one the Euby-throat is found east of the Mississippi river. Hum- 

 mingbirds, as Dr. Coues observes, are peculiar to America. Species are 

 found from Alaska to Patag-onia. In tropical South America, particu- 

 larly New Grenada, these beautiful feathered g-ems are most abundant. 

 There are, it is stated, over four hundred different species of hummers 

 known to scientists. 



The Ruby-throated Humming-birds, the smallest of all our feathered 

 visitants, arrive in Pennsylvania about the first week in May and re- 

 main until about the middle of September, when they migrate south. 

 This species is common during the winter in Florida, where they also, 

 it is said, breed. During the months of February, March and until 

 about the 20th of April, I found these birds to be quite numerous in 

 the orange orchards alo. ig the St. John's river. Although humming- 

 birds cannot be called gregarious, it is not at all uncommon, especially 

 in the spring, to see a flock of twenty or more of these birds feeding 

 among the flowers of some favorite tree. I have, at one time, counted 

 thirty odd hummers, feeding, fighting and pluming themselves among 

 the flowers of a single horse-chestnut tree. I have never seen the hum- 

 ming bird alight on the ground, * though it often rests on twigs and 

 branches. When sitting in trees or bushes it may frequently be ob- 

 served to spread out one wing and draw the quill-feathers through its 

 bill. The nest, a beautiful cup-shaped structure, is composed of downy 

 substances, chiefly of a vegetable character, covered externally with 

 lichens " which are glued on with the viscid saliva of the little workers;" 

 in many instances the lichen coverings are strengthened by strands of 

 cobwebs. The bird is not at all particular as to the situation which it 

 chooses for nest-building. Sometimes it builds in a honeysuckle vine 

 or a rose bush; at otLer times it erects a domicile in an apple or pear 

 tree, usually, ho /eve *, the nest is built on an oak or beech tree- in the 

 woods, and is placed mostly on the upper side of a horizontal limb. It 

 is constructed by th-> united labor of both birds, who complete the work 

 in five or six days. In this locality the nest is generally built about the 



* The following interesting extract taken from a letter sent me by Mr. Charles II. Eldon, of Wil- 

 liamsport Pa. . shows that this species has been seen resting on the ground : 



' Near my home is a field that in the summer time is used by a florist for the cultivation of flowers. I 

 have frequently repaired there in the evening when the hummingbirds were making their meal and 

 seated myself quietly among the bushes (with opera glass in hand). The ruby-throats would come quite 

 close, seemingly unaware of my presence, and dart here und there after their dainty food, or pause to 

 sip a drop of nectar from f >rne opening flower, ever and anon stopping for a short rest upon a stem or 

 upon the ground. When ihey alight upon the ground they spread the tail to its full extent, the end 

 against the ground, the wings slightly drooped, resting on the tail, apparently for the purpose of steady- 

 Ing themselves. I have seen them playfully chasing each other, starting from the ground and after 

 several sallies or playful banters returning to the ground sitting quite close to each other, when thus 

 seated they fluff out their feathers and appear plump (sparrow like), quite the contrary to their appear- 

 ance when perched upon a twig, 1 ' 



