April 1904] BIRDS OF THE HUACHUCA MOUNTAINS, ARIZONA I7 



Eugenes fulgens (Swainson). Rivoli Hummingbird. 



On the first day I spent in the Huachucas, April 26, 1896, almost 

 the first bird I saw on leaving camp in the morning, was a male Rivoli 

 Humming bird, two of them in fact ; and the size and beauty of the bird 

 made an impression on me at the time that even considerable familiarity 

 with the species has not effaced ; as it is without question, the hand- 

 somest of the North American Hummingbirds. The date given above 

 is the earliest at which I have seen it in the mountains, and the birds 

 become more and more abundant as the summer advances. As is the 

 case with the rest of the lutmmingbirds the male fulgois is never seen 

 near the nest, but remains almost entirely in the higher pine forests, and 

 in my experience, only a stray bird is occasionally seen in the lower 

 canyons. The breeding females are found principally along the water 

 courses between 5500 feet and 7500 feet; the nest being frequently built 

 in the maples along the streams, sometimes at a considerable height, 

 forty or fifty feet above ground. On May 18, 1896, an unfinished nest 

 was found, while on May 26, of the same year, two sets of eggs were 

 taken ; Mr. Howard has recorded the taking of a set as late as July 25, 

 1899, (Condor Vol. H, 1900, page loi) ; and on August 3, 1902, I saw a 

 female on a nest, but did not disturb her as it was in rather too inac- 

 cessible a position. Toward the end of summer I have occasionally 

 seen females down quite to the base of the mountains, but not often. 

 A favorite resort of the Rivolis, in fact of most of the hummingbirds in 

 this region, are the flowering stalks of the mescal plant, which grows 

 in profusion all over the mountains; in 1902, I saw but one or two male 

 fiilgcns before the mescals were in bloom, which was quite late, nemiv 

 the end of July, that year. In the spring of 1903 hummingbirds of all 

 species were scarce in the mountains, though there was an abundance of 

 wild flowers, more so than usual ; I saw a few female fnlgcns along the 

 canyon streams, but up to the time I left, the end of May, I had not seen 

 a single male. 



Coeligena clemenciae Lesson. Blue throated Hummingbird. 



A summer resident in the mountains, but in my experience not 

 nearly as common as the Rivoli. The two species are sufficiently alike 

 to be confused while flying about, but I have seen but two or three that 

 I could be positive belonged to this species, and succeeded in obtaining 

 but a single bird. This one, a male, was taken on May 27, 1963, while 

 feeding on a honeysuckle in a garden ; and was extremely shy, darting 

 ofif the moment it caught sight of me, and staying away for a consider- 

 able length of time. 



Trochilus alexandri Bourcier c^ Mulsant. Black-chinned Hummmgbird. 

 A very abundant sununer resident, probably the most common 

 hummingbird of this region. I have occasionally seen the male bird up 

 to an altitude of 7000 feet, but they are most abundant below 6000 feet, 

 and breed from that altitude down to the base of the mountains and as 

 far down the washes as there is any vegetation. The earliest date on 

 which I have seen this species was April 26, 1902, and on September 5, 

 when I left the mountains, they were still abundant. 



Calypte costae (Bourcier). Costa Hummingbird. 



Costa Hummingbird begins to appear in the mountains about the 

 first of July, and some years becomes exceedingly abundant. In 1896 

 they were particularly numerous, but nearly all immature males show- 



