GREEN, GREENISH GRAY, AND OLIVE 417 



small a shell. During the first week they double in 

 weight every twenty-four hours, and at the end of four 

 days, although still blind and naked, weigh as much as 

 a canary. Most of the food is given them by regurgita- 

 tion so long as they remain in the nest. They are 

 slow in developing, and do not fly until nearly four 

 weeks old. 



PLUMAGE GKEEN, GREENISH GRAY, AND OLIVE 



429. BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD.— ^rc^i/ocAM* 

 alexandri. 



Family : The Hummingbirds. 



Length: Male 3.30-3.75 ; female 3.90-4.10. 



Adult Male : Upper parts metallic greenish ; under parts whitish, washed 

 with green on the sides ; chin and throat velvety black, bordered be- 

 low by a broad band, metallic purple, green, and blue. 



Adult Female: Upper parts bronzy; under parts light grayish; taU 

 much rounded, with middle feathers green, next two tipped with 

 black, next three tipped with white. 



Young : Similar to adult female, but fe.athers of the upper parts mar- 

 gined with buffy. 



Geographical Distribution: Western United States, east to Rocky 

 Mountains, south over table-lands of Mexico. 



Breeding Range : From British Columbia south to Lower California, and 

 frorn the Pacific to the Eocky Mountains, chiefly in the upper Sonoran 

 zone. 



Breeding Season: May 1 to August 15. 



Nest : In trees or bushes, 4 to 7 feet from the ground ; of buffy plant 

 down covered with spider's web. 

 s: 2 or 3 ; white. Size 0.50 X 0.32. 



In some localities the Black-chinned Hummingbird is 

 known as the Purple-throated Hummer, and this seems 

 to describe him about as well as his more common name, 

 for just below the black chin is a band of iridescent 



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