THE BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD. 



{Trochilus alexandri.) 



To the ornithologist who may be so fortunate as to visit Southern California in the 

 spring, when Nature has put on her holiday attire, and everything appears at its best, 

 our friends, the feathered midgets, will contribute not a little to the pleasure of his stay. 



— Benjamin T, Gault. 



The Black-chinned Hummingbird has 

 a long and narrow range extending along 

 the Pacific coast from Southern British 

 Columbia southward into Southern Mex- 

 ico, where it passes the winter. East- 

 ward its range extends to Western Mon- 

 tana, Western Colorado, New Mexico, 

 and Western Texas In some por- 

 tions of this range it is very abundant, 

 while in others that are apparently as 

 well suited to its habits it is rare, or 

 never seen at all. 



This Hummingbird, which also bears 

 the name Purple-throated and Alexan- 

 dre's Hummingbird, is very similar in 

 its habits to our eastern ruby-throat. 

 Even in its call notes and antics while 

 wooing its mate it is almost a counter- 

 part of the eastern species. 



Next to the Anna's hummingbird, the 

 Black-chinned is the most conspicuous of 

 all the hummingbirds that frequent south- 

 ern California. At twilight it is a fre- 

 quent visitor to the orange groves, and 

 later, as night approaches, it retires to the 

 mountain sides, where, with numerous 

 individuals of its own kind and other 

 birds, it finds a resting place through 

 the dark hours. 



Mr. B. T. Gault has related an inter- 

 esting anecdote that occured in his ex- 

 perience with hummingbirds. He once 

 found a nest of the -Black-chinned species 

 in which there were eggs nearly ready to 

 hatch. Wishing the nest, which was an 

 exceedingly fine one, he cut the branch 

 only to find the eggs of no value as 

 specimens. Finally, finding a nest in 

 which there were two fresh eggs, he 

 took them and substituted the two older 

 ones. The female bird watched this 

 action from a nearby branch. Return- 

 ing a few days later, he was surprised 

 to find two little naked worm-like bodies 



in the nest. Naturally satisfied and 

 pleased over the result of his experiment 

 he says : "The old bird seemed pleased 

 too, as she watched me from a neighbor- 

 ing branch, while arranging her feathers, 

 evidently wondering why I should take 

 such a deep interest in her treasures. 

 And well she might be pleased, for in- 

 cubation had been robbed of all its tedi- 

 ousness in this case and the pair acting 

 on this assumption undoubtedly hatched 

 another brood, but not in such haste, 

 I venture to say." 



The nests are delicate affairs, and in 

 many cases resemble small sponges, read- 

 ily assuming their normal form if the 

 edges are pressed together. The inner 

 cup is seldom more than one inch in 

 diameter. The walls are usually com- 

 posed of the down of willows. This is 

 firmly woven by an unsparing use of 

 spider web. Usually a few small leaves 

 and scales of willow buds are attached 

 to the outer face, evidently to give it 

 stability. 



It has been stated that hummingbirds 

 invariably lay but two eggs in each set. 

 The female Black-chinned Hummingbird 

 seems to be at least one of the exceptions 

 that prove the rule. Major Bendire says 

 that ''nests of this species now and then 

 contain three eggs, all evidently laid by 

 the same female, and such instances do 

 not appear to be especially rare." 



The Black-chinned Hummingbird is 

 like all the other birds of its kind. Al- 

 ways inquisitive, never afraid to combat 

 a foe and always active, the lines of 

 Jones Very are especially applicable to 

 its character: 



Like thoughts that flitted across the mind, 

 Leaving no lasting trace behind. 

 The humming-bird darts to and fro, 

 Comes, vanishes before we know. 



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