THE BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD. 201 



Tulare County, California, have perceptibly thicker walls than those from the 

 warmer lowlands, and are also correspondingly larger. The nests are either 

 saddled on a small, drooping branch or on a fork, one or two of the smaller twigs 

 composing this usually being incorporated in the walls and holding it securely 

 in place. Many of the nests resemble small, fine sponges, and are equally 

 elastic, readily regaining their shape after being squeezed together. They are 

 generally placed from 4 to 8 feet from the ground, mostly in the shrubbery 

 found near small creeks or springs, and frequently their nests overhang the 

 water or the dry creek bed. Alders, cottonwoods, oak, sycamore, laurel, and 

 willows are most often selected for nesting sites, as well as young orchards, 

 especially apple and orange trees, where they are available. 



In the more southern portions of the range of the Black-chinned Hum- 

 mingbird fresh eggs are occasionally found by May 1, and as late as the 

 beginning of August. Although most of our Hummingbirds invariably lay but 

 two eggs to a set, nests of this species now and then contain three, all evidently 

 laid by the same female, and such instances do not appear to be especially rare. 

 Three such cases have come to my knowledge within the last few years. Dr. 

 C. Hart Merriam found a set of three in the lower Santa Clara Valley, Utah, in 

 May, 1891. Mr. F. Stephens took another at Olancha, Inyo County, California, 

 on May 16, 1891, which is now in the United States National Museum collec- 

 tion, and Mr. Fred. H. Fowler obtained still another near Fort Bowie, Arizona, 

 in the spring of 1893. 



The eggs of the Black-chinned Hummingbird resemble those of the Ruby- 

 throat in shape and color, but average a trifle smaller. 



The average measurement of fifty-three specimens in the United States 

 National Museum collection is 12.67 by 8.31 millimetres, or about 0.50 by 0.33 

 inch. The largest egg of the series measures 13.72 by 8.64 millimetres, or 0.54 

 by 0.34 inch; the smallest, 11.94 by 8.13 millimetres, or 0.47 by 0.32 inch. 



The type specimen, No. 24257 (not figured), from a set of three eggs, was 

 taken by Mr. F. Stephens, on May 16, 1891, near Olancha, Inyo County, Cali- 

 fornia, the nest being saddled on a small twig of an apple tree in a young 

 orchard, about 7 feet from the ground. 



70. Trochilus violajugulum Jeffries. 



VIOLET-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD. 



Trochilus violajugulum Jeffries, Auk, V, April, 1888, 168. 



(B — , C — , R — , C — , U 429.1. ) 



Geographical range: Southern California (Santa Barbara County). 



The Violet-throated Hummingbird was first described by the late J. Amory 

 Jeffries in "The Auk" (Vol. V, 1888, pp. 168, 169), from a specimen, a male, 

 shot near Santa Barbara, California, on April 5, 1883, and the type, I believe, 

 still remains unique. Nothing whatever is known regarding its habits or the 

 extent of its range. It appears to be a perfectly good species, and was probably 

 a straggler from the south. 



