854 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST. 



were common October 13, which is the latest I have seen it. They 

 stay until a sudden cold snap comes, and then leave. October 5, 1894, 

 they were common one of our chimneys was alive with them. Next 

 day it grew colder all day, and at night it was necessary to build a fire 

 in that fire-place, but the swifts were all gone. 



Their food is entirely insects, largely flies and other small forms, 

 which they take in the air. 



SUBORDER TROCHILL HUMMING BIRDS. 

 XXXV. FAMILY TROCHILID^E. HUMMING BIRDS. 



a 1 . Back golden green; bill straight; first primary not excessively lengthened. 



TROCHILUS. 101 



101. GENUS TROCHILUS LINNAEUS. 

 Subgenus TROCHILUS. 



*171. (428). Trochilus colubris LINN. 



Ruby-throated Humming- Bird. 



Adult Male.-Ta.ilf deeply forked; above, metallic green; wings and 

 tail, dusky purple; below, white, a ruby-red gorget; sides, greenish. 

 Adult Female. Tail, not deeply forked, the feathers barred with 

 black, outer ones tipped with white; lacking .the metallic gorget. 

 Young. Similar to female, but with tail more like the male. 



Length, 3.07-3.25; wing, 1.60; tail, 1.25. 



RANGE. Eastern North America, from Central America and West 

 Indies to Labrador and Northwest Territory; west to Great Plains. 

 Breeds throughout its range. Winters from Florida southward. 



Nest, of lichens and vegetable fibre, covered with lichens and sad- 

 dled to a horizontal limb. Eggs, 2; white; .51 by .33. 



Common summer resident. Breeds. There are many beautiful and 

 interesting birds found throughout our State, but beside this little 

 flying gem all others are as common pebbles beside the ruby. We all 

 continue to share the feeling of childhood, and gaze in inquiring won- 

 der as we see it come from somewhere and gather food, as its humming 

 wings carry it from flower to flower among the nasturtiums, and dis- 

 appear over the fence as suddenly as it came. This is the only kind of 

 humming bird found in the eastern United States. Its average time of 

 arrival in southern Indiana is May 1; in the northern part of the 

 State, May 10. I have taken it at Brookville as early as April 20, 

 1896; and it delayed arriving until May 9 in both 1888 and 1889. 



