TUOClllUD.E — TIJE IIUMMIXU-DIUDS. 4^1 



upon tlio intruder, producing a hollow rusldng sound, liko tliat of llio Mylit- 

 Iliiwk, liut of a niucii sharper tone. Tiiese sounds are produced hy ihc 

 wings. In duly, wheu llowers aie more alaindant among the miaintain sum- 

 mits, tlu'V leave the lower eountry. Dr. Cooper I'ound theiu aliundant in 

 Augu.st at un elevation of nearly six tiioiLsand feet, and where ire was 

 formed at night in their eamj). 



In California, Dr. Cooper has not found any of this species remaining in 

 winter, even at San Diego, wiiere, however, he has known them to arrive as 

 early as the olh of Feliruary. lie also saw several on the '22d of the .same 

 month feeding among the llowers of the evergreen gooseberry. I'>y the lirst 

 of April they were swarming ahout San Diego. Their young are hatehcd 

 before the mithlle of dune. When perching, this .sjieeies is said to utter a 

 shrill wiry call, like Die iiighest note of a violin. They also produce a curi- 

 ous kind of bleating sound. They are among the most noi.sy and lively of 

 their race,ai'e very (luarrelsonie, chase each other away i'roni favorite llowers, 

 rising into tlie air until out of sight, ehirinng as they go in the most excited 

 manner. 



Mr. Lord noticed the arrival of tliLs species at Little Spokan IJiver, in 

 latitude 4'.)°, early in May. He Ibund their nests usually in low shrulis and 

 clc^jie to rippling streams. The females of this and other s|)ecies are .said to 

 arrive about a week later than the males. 



Dr. Ileermann i'or several successive seasons found many pairs of these 

 birds breeding in the vicinity of San Francisco. 



Air. Nuttall c(»mpares the ai.i>earance of the male birds of this sjjccies, 

 when he approached too near their nests, to an angry coal of Itrilliant lire, 

 as they darted uixrn him, jias.sing within a i'ow inches of his lace as they 

 returned again and again to the attack, making a sound as of a breaking 

 twig. 



Dr. Woodhousc, who found this bird aliundant in New ^NFexicn, ]iaiticu- 

 larly in the vicinity of Santa Fe, speaks of the great noise they niaki; for so 

 small a bird, and of their (piarrelsome and pugnacious dis])osition. 



j\Ir. ]{. Urown, in Ids .syno])sis of the birds of Vancouver Island, notes the 

 ap])earanco of this species, I'nnn the end of Marcli to tlie beginning of May, 

 according to the state of the sea.son. Its nest was built on the ti])s of low 

 bushes, or the under branches of trees. This was the only species of Hum- 

 nung-IMrd seen west of the Cascade Mountains. 



The Kufous Ilununer was first noticed by ]\Ir. IJidgway in the valley f)f the 

 Truckee liiver, in August, where it was the only species shot, and was ex- 

 tremely aliundant among the sunllowers winch ornament the meadows. In 

 May of the succeeding year, when the same locality was again visited, not 

 one of this sjiecies was to be found, its jilace being a]iparently su])plied by 

 the T. alcxamh'i, which was (juite common, and breeding. Eastward it was 

 met with as far as the East IIundj(ddt Mountains, where, however, only a 

 single pair was seen, and one of them shot, in Septendier. 



