248 BIRDS 



will serve to imitate natural excrescenses of a branch, such 

 as a knot or a pine cone." Other species make a hammock- 

 like nest that they suspend from cliffs by attaching spiders' 

 webs. The eggs of the humming-birds, almost invariably 

 two in number, are white and free from spots. 



The Anna's Humming-bird of our illustration is one of 

 the most striking of those best known. It is, perhaps, the 

 most beautiful of the species that frequent the United 

 States. It is a native of California and in its migrations 

 passes southward through Arizona to the table lands of 

 Mexico. It is also found in Lower California. 



The head and ruff of the male have a lustrous, metallic, 

 purplish-red color. The female is bronze-green above, 

 though the top of the head is sometimes brownish, show- 

 ing but little if any metallic luster. Both sexes vary some- 

 what in color. This is especially true of the males, some 

 individuals having more purplish-red on the crown and 

 throat than others. 



This species inhabits a metal-producing region, and it is 

 an interesting fact, as cited by Mr. Gould in his Monograph 

 of the Humming-birds, that "those districts or countries 

 having a metalliferous character are tenanted by species of 

 humming-birds which are more than ordinarily brilliant and 

 glittering." 



THE BROAD-TAILED HUMMING-BIRD* 



If we desire to study the Broad-tailed Humming-bird in 

 the regions that it frequents we must journey to the moun- 

 tainous district of western North America. Here it may be 



