adjoining felt-like matting of pappus, is agglutinated and bound around the twig with a thick layer of spider's 

 web. The eggs, as usual, are two, white and elliptical. The note resembles that of the Rufous Humming 

 Bird, and is a slender chep, frequently repeated ; but during the breeding season they are very pugnacious, 

 and the little combatants dart through the trees like meteors, uttering a loud and repeated twittering 

 scold. It has the same habit also that has been remarked in the Rufous Humming Bird, that of ascending 

 in clear weather to a considerable height in the air, and then descending with great rapidity, uttering at the 

 same time a peculiar note. Its ruff too, like that oirufus, is erectile. 



''Nuttall, who brought this species from California, did not procure the male, but saw it frequently, and 

 supposed it to have a yellow spot on the crown. I discovered that that which deceived him in this respect 

 Avas the glutinous pollen of a tubular flower upon which it feeds, adhering to the rigid feathers of the crown, 

 and making it look as if it really had a yellow head. I have also seen the bill for half its length covered in 

 the same manner." 



The sexes differ very considerably in colour, the female being destitute of the fine metallic hues which 

 adorn the head and throat of the male. 



The male has the head, ear-coverts, throat, and the elongated ruff-like feathers on the sides of the neck, 

 brilliant metallic crimson ; all the upper surface and wing-coverts golden green ; wings purplish brown ; 

 central tail-feathers bronzy green, the remainder dark brown with paler internal edges ; breast and centre of 

 the abdomen grey; flanks golden green; vent and thighs white; under tail-coverts dull green, edged with 

 grey; bill black; feet blackish brown. 



The female has the head greyish brown ; all the upper surface, wing-coverts, and central tail-feathers, 

 golden green ; basal portion of the lateral tail-feathers grey, succeeded by golden green ; their apical portion 

 being black, and the two outer ones on each side tipped with white ; wings purplish brown ; under surface 

 grey, washed with green on the sides of the neck and flanks, and with a few brilliant fiery-red feathers in 

 the centre of the throat. 



The Plate represents two males and a female of the natural size. The plant is the Ceanothus Jloribmidus, 



