TROCHILUS COhlJBRlS, Linn. 



Ruby-throated Humming'-bird. 



Trochilus Colubris, Linn. Syst. Nat., torn. i. p. 191. — lb. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 344. — Bonap. 



Syn. Birds of U. States, p. 98.— Wils. Am. Orn., vol. ii. p. 26. pi. 10. figs. 3, 4.— 



VieiU. Ency. Meth. Orn., part ii. p. 569. — Jard. Nat. Lib. Humming-birds, vol. i. 



p. 85. pi. 5. — Reichenb. Aufz. der Col., p. 12. — Audub. Birds of Am., vol. i. 



pi. xlvii. — lb. Orn. Bio., vol. i. p. 248. — Sagra, Voy. de Cuba, pi. 21. fig. 1. — 



Swains, and Rich. Faun. Bor. Am. part ii. Birds, pp. xxvi, xxxvi, 323. 

 The Red-throated Humming-bird, Edw. Nat. Hist. &c., vol. i. p. 38. pi. 38. 

 Red-throated Honey-sucker, Penn. Arct. Zool., vol. ii. p. 176. 

 Mellisuya Carolinensis gutture rubra, Briss. Orn., torn. iii. p. 716. pi. xxxvi. figs. 5, 6. 



colubris, Steph. Cont. of Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. xiv. p. 247. 



Le Rubis, Buff. Hist. Nat. des Ois., tom. vi. p. 13. — ^Vieill. Ois. Dor., tom. i. pp. 66, 69, 70. 



pis. 31, 32, 33.— Vieill. Ois. de I'Am., tom. i. pis. 31, 32. 

 V Oiseau-mouche agosier dore, Vieill. Ois. Dor., tom. i. p. 89. pi. 46. 

 Ornismya Colubris, Less. Hist. Nat. des Ois.-mou., pp. xvj. 151. pis. 48, 48*.— lb. Les Troch., 



p. 1. pi. i. — lb. Ind. Gen. et Syn. des Ois. du Gen. Trochilus, p. xxxiv. 

 MelUsuga colubris. Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 113, Mellisuga, p. 82. 

 The Humming-bird, Catesb. Nat. Hist, of Car. &c., vol. i. p. 65. pi. 65. 



Although every species of Humming-bird inhabits either the great continent of America or the islands 

 immediately adjacent, the subject of the present memoir is the only one usually seen in a state of nature by 

 tliose travellers who wend their way across the Atlantic to the western world. 



It was on the 21st of May, 1857, that my earnest day-thoughts and not unfrequent night-dreams of thirty 

 years were realized by the sight of a living Humming-bird. To describe my feelings on the occasion 

 would be no easy task ; I leave them then to the imagination of my readers rather than make the attempt. 

 In like manner I shall not give any narration of my own respecting this beautiful little bird, about which 

 so much has been written by Wilson, Audubon, and others, but adopt the fairer course of giving copious 

 extracts from the eloquent writings of those authors, and content myself with affording some additional 

 information respecting the range of the species, its disposition in a state of captivity, &c. Second only to 

 the gratification of seeing this Humming-bird in a state of nature was the pleasure I derived from a 

 successful attempt to bring living examples to this country ; unfortunately, their existence here was of short 

 duration, but they lived long enough to prove that if other attempts be made, they will be rewarded with 

 success. I have repeatedly stated in the present work, that many of the members of this family are migra- 

 tory, while others are stationary, and some are restricted to exceedingly limited areas. The Trochilus 

 Colubris is pre-eminently a migratory species, a great portion of its life being spent in passing from north 

 to south, and vice versa. Its range may be said to extend over nearly forty degrees of latitude, or from ten 

 to fifty dej^rees north, on the eastern side of the American continent ; I have received it in abundance 

 from Guatemala, Mexico, Texas, the United States, and Canada, in which latter country Dr. Richardson 

 observed it on the plains of the Saskatchewan, and Mr. Drummond found it breeding on the banks of the 

 Elk River. The months in which the United States are favoured with its presence are May, June, July, 

 August and September ; it arrives in the Southern States as early as March, and as the season advances, 

 gradually passes on towards the central and northern portions of the country, including Canada and even 

 some parts of the Hudson's Bay territory. It breeds in all the above-mentioned countries, and frequently 

 raises two broods a year. About the middle of September the great southern migration commences, and the 

 bird winters in the more genial and warmer countries of Mexico and Guatemala. This then is all that it is 

 necessary to say respecting its migration, unless it be to add, that I believe its movement to and from either 

 country is very gradual, and that it is probably performed in the broad open daytime only, and not by night, 

 as has been suspected by Audubon. The period of my visit to America being somewhat early in the season, 

 my attempts to discover a living " Hummer " in the neighbourhood of New York during the second week 

 in May were futile, and it was not until I arrived at the more southern city of Philadelphia that my wish 

 was gratified by the sight of a single male in the celebrated Bartram's garden, whither I was conducted by 

 my friend Mr. VV. M. L. Baily, from whom I also received many other kind attentions. 



When first seen, the bird was engaged in examining the blossoms of a lofty chestnut; but its 



