4G0 XUllTll AMEIUCAN BlliUrf. 



Spuciineiis IVoin the tiiblo-liuids of Mexico are siimllur tlr.iu tliosu fiom 

 Oregon, iiiul liuvo yellowur, Iosh iiil)y tliiouts. 



Hahit.s. Tliis hiilliiiiil si»ecius luis an uxteiidutl distril)iiti()ii througliout 

 tlie wusturn part (tf Nurth America, Ijcing Ibund from tiie valley of the Uio 



(Jrando to the Pacific, and from Mexico to 

 .Sitka. It was lirst discovered near Xootka 

 Sound, !)y that distinguished navigator. Cap- 

 tain (A)ok, and described by Latham, and has 

 lieen met with as far to the south as Ileal del 

 ^[onte, on the table-hinds of Mexico, by Mr. 

 ^^^^^^"' Taylor, whoso siiecimens were described by 



zona, near Fort Whipple, as it is also along the wIkjIo slope of the JJoeky 

 Mountains. It is a summer resident in tliat Territory, and lireeds there al)un- 

 dantly, arriving at Fort Whipple April lo, and remaining until the middle 

 of September, lieing found in all situations, particularly meadows, oi»eu 

 copses, ravines, etc., where llowers are most abundant. 



Mr. Dall gives them as conunon summer residents at Sitka. Bischoff 

 obtained sixteen specimens. Dr. Suckley says they are very abundant in 

 the western provinces of both Oregon and Washington Teri'itory, an<l in 

 Vancouver Island. They appear to be very hardy, and are one of the earli- 

 est of the migratory liirds to arrive in spring. At Fort Steilacoom, latitude 

 47', they appeared April 10. They are supposed to commence their south- 

 ern migrations from that region in Septemlx^', — a move induced by the 

 scarcity of llowers and lack of means of cajitivatiiig insects, rather than by 

 cold. In Washington Territory their incubation connnences about the 10th 

 of May, and is made evident by the tierce and angry battles continually oc- 

 curring l)etween the male birds, in which they tilt at each other at full 

 speed, at the same tinu; keeping up a loud anil vociferous squeaking and 

 buzzing. 



A nest with eggs, of this species, obtained by Dr. Cooper near Fort 

 Slaughter, ^lay 215, was found in the forked branch of a snowberry-bnsh. 

 It was composed princiiially of line green moss, lined internally with the 

 delicate floss of the cottonwood, and externally bordered most artistically 

 with rock lichens. The female was on the nest, and .allowed so near an ap- 

 proach as almost to admit of being grasped by the liand. The nest was 2.00 

 inches in diameter and l.;jO in height. The eggs measured .45 by .oM of an 

 inch, and were white, as in all the species. 



Dr. Cooper states that the appearance of this species at the Straits of 

 Fuca is coincident witli the blossomir.;;: of the red-llowering currant, which 

 begins to bloom on the Columliia March 10. The male of this species has 

 a remarkable habit, when a stranger or a wild animal a]iproaches its nest, of 

 rising to a great height in the air, aiul of then darting down perpendicularly 



