450 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



in (leptli ami 1.25 inclit's in breailtli. It is oi' very homogeneous con- 

 stniction, tlio niiiterial of which it is made being almost exclusively a suh- 

 stance of vegetable oi'igin, resembling wool, coarse in fibre, but soi't, warm, 

 and yielding, oi' a deep Imtl' color. Tiiis is strengthened, on the outside, by 

 various small woody (Hires; the whole, on the (mter surl'aee, entirely and 

 compactly covei'ed by a thatcliing of small lichens, a sjiecies of J'annc/i((. 



A nest olitained in Lynn, Mass., by iNfr. C»eorge (). Wtdch, in June, 18G0, 

 was built on a horizontal biancli of an a])ple-tree. In measures 1.50 inches 

 in height, and 1'.1'5 in its external diameter. The cavity is more shallow, 

 measuring .7i> of an inch in depth and l.UO in diameter. It is eipially 

 homogeneous in its composition, being made of very similar materials. In 

 this case, however, the soft woolly material of which it is woven is liner in 

 fibre, softer ami more silky, and of the purest white color. It is strength- 

 ened on th(! base witii ])ieces of bark, and ou the sides with Kne vegetable 

 fibres. The whole nest is beautifully covered with a compact coating of 

 lichens, a species of I'ltrmelia, but dill'erent from tho.se of the Georgian nest. 



The fine silk-like substance of which the nest from Lynn is chiefly com- 

 posed is sup])osed to be the soft down which appears on the young anil 

 une.xpanded leaves of the red-oak, immediately before their full develop- 

 ment. The buds of several of tiie oaks are fitted for a climate liable to 

 severe winters, by lieiiig protected by separate downy scales surrounding 

 each leaf In Massachusetts the red-oak is an abundant tree, expands its 

 leaves at a convenient season for the llumming-Iiird, and these soft silky 

 scales which hiive fulfilled their mission of jn-otection to the embryo leaves 

 are turned to a good account by our tiny and watchful architect. The spe- 

 cies in (leorgia evidently make use of similar materials from one of the 

 soutliern oaks. 



The eggs measure .50 by .35 of an inch, and are of a pure dull white. 



Trochilus alexandri, Rouih-. c^- Mrr,s\xT. 



BLACK-CHINNED HUMMING-BIBD. 



Troi-liihi/i a!cvii>iilri, liorKi ii;i! & Mn.s.vxT, Aim. dc hi Soc. d'AKiic. dc Lyons, IX, ISIO, 

 ;i:!0. — IIi;i:i;mann, ,Iouv. A. X. Sc. Pliila. 2(1 scv. II, isn:), 2f)9. — r.\,-isiN, 111. . 

 Am. liird-s, I, v, 18r)4, 141, pi. xxii. — (i(iri.i), Mdii. Tnicliilidiv, xiv, Si'pt. 1857, 

 platf. -R.uiin, liirds N. Am. l^.vs, 13;!, pi. .xliv, f. ;!. — In. M. 15. II, liinls, ti, pi. 

 V, f. ;!. IlKr.iiM, X, ,S', iiij. -('(ion.1!, Oni. Oil. I, 1S70, ;!,-i3. 



Si'. ("ll.M!. Very similar to Troi-liHii.i clnhri.':. Tail sli,i;litly forked ; lli,' cliiii and U|ipi'r 

 part ol' tiic throat opa(|iic vi'lvcly-lilai'k, williniit nictallii! reflections, uhieh are "i ilined 

 to tho posterior border of llie uoru'et. and are violet, sometimes clianiiin;,'- to steel lihie or 

 f;-i'een. instead of I'oppery-reil. Iwn,<tlc withnnt the metallic .seah's ; llie lail-feather.s 

 tipped witli white: llie tail frriidiiated, not emari;inated ; the innermost feather amoiijr the 

 loi,','est. Len.u'lh of male. .I..'!!) ; winL'. l.TD; tail, 12(!; l.ill, .7."). 



n<ih. Coast of Californiii, soutliward, and easl to the Wahsatch and Tiiitali Moentailis, 

 riah. 



