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AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



COSTA HUMMINGBIRD IN THE VICINITY OF SANTA MONICA, 



CAL. 



W. Lee Chambers. 



This beautiful little hummer was named by M, Bourcier in honor of 

 Mile Marquis Costa de Beauregard and is one of the three hummers 

 which nest in this vicinity, and is the rarest of the three, the other two 

 being Anna and Black-chinned. It arrives in Southern California 

 about the first of April after spending its winters in Lower California 

 and Western Mexico. 



NEST AND EGGS OE COSTA HUMMINGBIRD. 



The above cut is from '^ North American Birds Eggs.'''' In making up, two 

 plates in some way became shifted so that this nest is erroneously ascribed as the 

 Allen Hummer. Mr. Chambers kindly called my attention to the fact.] ed. 



The breeding season of Calypte Costae extends from about the 

 middle of May to the first week of July, and so far as I have found the 

 birds invariably choose as a nesting ground some barren dry wash far 

 from water or else a barren hillside. They seem to be quite sociable 

 and like to build their homes somewhere in the vicinity of their friends, 

 for I have found as many as eight nests within a hundred yards of each 

 other along one dry wash and going a few hundred yards farther up the 

 wash would find none. I have also noticed this among the eucalyptus 

 groves, they seem to colonize. In some particular grove where 

 one will find a dozen pair, maybe the following year they will 

 desert this grove and select another. As far as I have investigated I 

 can find no reason why this hummer should go so far from water to 

 rear its young. I will not put this down as always the case for once in 

 a while a nest will be found in some rocky canyon over a stream of 

 running water. 



Nests of Costa Hummingbird are typical and when one has been 

 described you practically have finished as far as the composition of the 



