Habits of Hummers. 571 



the Lower Amazons than on the Andes, yet there are not 

 fifteen species east of Egas, or the last 1500 miles. If the 

 wanton destruction of Humming-birds for mere decora- 

 tive purposes continues for the next decade as it has dur- 

 ing the last, several genera may become utterly extinct. 

 This is evident when we consider that many a genus is 

 represented by a single species, which species has a very 

 circumscribed habitat, and multiplies slowly, prodncino- 

 but two eggs a year; and that at Nanegal, e. g., a famous 

 locality near Quito, it was possible ten years ago to shoot 

 sixteen or eighteen per day, while now it is hard to get 

 half a dozen. 



Nidification is uniform at the same altitude and latitude. 

 In the valley of Quito it occurs at about the close of the 

 rainy season, or April. The nest is built in six days. But 

 one Q^g is laid before the nest is finished. The usual 

 height of the nest above the ground is six feet. Some, 

 like that of our Northern species, are cup - shaped, and 

 placed in the fork of a branch ; others are hung like a 

 hammock by threads or spiders' webs to trees or rocks ; 

 while the long -tailed Lesbia constructs a purse -shaped 

 nest, resembling those of the Phsethornithinse on the Am- 

 azons. Like the " hermit " Hummers of the lowlands, the 

 Purple-eared {Petasophora iolata) alone of the Quito spe- 

 cies hangs its nest over a stream of water. As to the ma- 

 terials of the nest, I have noticed a fact which I can not 

 explain. Our Northern Hummer glues lichens all over 

 the outside ; so do a number of species in Brazil, Guiana, 

 etc. ; but in the valley of Quito moss is invariably used : 

 not a particle of lichen have I seen on any nest, though 

 lichens abound.* Mr. Gould mentions a nest which, being 



* A similar variation is seen in the nests of the Chimney-swallows : our 

 species {Chmtura pelasgia) builds of twigs glued together with saliva, while 

 its Quito representative (C. rutila) builds of mud and moss. 



