TROCIIILID.E — THE HUMMING-BIRDS. 403 



westward to the city, and tlieiice southward to (iiiateinala, while througliout 

 this region it is said to Ijo very generally ami very ])lentii'ully distriljiiled. 

 It was tirst taken, in 1"")1, l)y Air. .1. 11. Clark, near El Paso, Texas. Sul)- 

 sequently numerous si)eeii'iens were seen hy Dr. Coues on the summit of 

 Wliipple's I'ass of the liocky ]\Iountains, in July, feeding among clumi)s 

 of wild roses. It was not iiotieed ni;ar Fort Whipple, tliough the range 

 of this species is now well known to include Xew Me.\ieo and Arizona, as 

 far north, at least, as Fort liridger in Wyonung. It was found lireeding 

 abundantly in the vicinity of Fort Urant, Arizona, hy Dr. I'almer. 



This Iluniming-Bird was fountl liy Mr. Allen more or less common among 

 the foot-hills, as well as among tlie mountains, of (Colorado, and extending 

 several miles out on the plains. On Mount Lincoln, in Colorado, he found 

 it exceedingly numerous, and though larger and otherwise dillerent from the 

 eastern Iluby-throal, it might easily be mistaken for it. The shrill whistling 

 of its wings, lie adds, is a peculiarity one is sure to notice. This Humming- 

 Bird continued to be couimon on the sides of Mount Lincoln to faraliove 

 the tindjer line, being apparently as much at home anK)ng the l)right Howers 

 growing on the highest jjaits of the mountain as in the valleys. 



At Lake Talioe, at an elevation of six thousand feet, Dr. Coo])er found 

 the young of this species 'juite common near the miildle of Septend)er. 

 Supposing them to be the more common X ru/tm, he only obtained a single 

 specimen. He thinks that the.se liirds extend their nortliern migrations as 

 far as the Blue Mountains, near Snake IJivcr, Oregon, and that they are the 

 ones referred to by Nuttall as seen by him in autumn, and sujiposed to be 

 the rnfiia. 



The nests of this species jn-ocured by Dr. Palmer were large for the size 

 of the bird, uinisually broad and shallow, composed of soit downy pappus 

 from seeds of plants, and vegetable down, with the outer walls covered with 

 mosses and lichens. The eggs are not distinguishable from those of the 

 other species. 



The liocky Mountain or Broad-tailed Hummer, according to Mr. Itidg- 

 way's ol)servations, is tiie mo.st abundant wpecies in the (treat ISasin, though 

 he did not see it to recognize it west of the East Humboldt Mountains. It 

 is essentially a bird ol' the mountains, since in that region there are few 

 flowers elsewhere ; yet in the gardens of Salt Lake City, an altitude i'ar belov/ 

 its usual habitat, it was abundant. Its I'avorite resorts are the flowerv 

 slopes of the higher and well-watered mountain-ranges of the Great Basin 

 and IJocky Alountain system, at an average elevation of about eight or 

 nine thousand feet, yet it will lie found wherever flowers are abundant. 

 Mr. Iiidgway saw one at an altitude of about twelve thousand feet, in July, 

 on the East Humboldt Mountains, but it merely passed rapidly liy him. In 

 the Wahsatch ^Mountains, particularly in the neighborhood of Salt Lake 

 City, this species was most pleiitil'ul. It there nested abundantly in the 

 scrub-oaks on tlie hills or slopes of the canons. 



