GREEN, GREENISH GRAY, AND OLIVE 423 



431. ANNA HUMMINGBIRD. — Calypte annae. 



Family : The Hummingbirds. 



Length: Male 3.40-3.60 ; female 3.80-4.15. 



Adult Male : Top of head, throat, and ruff metallic pink, bronze, and 



green ; upper parts and middle tail-feathers iridescent green ; tail 



forked ; under parts white, washed with green. 

 Adult Female: Head green, like upper parts ; throat spotted with pink. 

 Young: Similar to female, but tinged with brownish on upper parts. 

 Geographical Distribution: Central and Southern California, chiefly west 



of the mountains, Arizona, and Lower California. North as far as 



Yreka and Jit. Shasta. 

 California Breeding Rawjr : Upper Sonorau zone west of the Sierra 



Nevada. 

 Breeding Season: January to June. 

 Nest : From 8 to 30 feet from the ground ; of thistledown and willow 



cotton ; lined with a few small feathers ; covered on the outside with 



moss, well covered with spider webs, with here and there pieces of 



lichens. 

 Eggs: 2; white. Size 0.50 X 0.32. 



A hummingbird with a song would be somewhat of 

 a novelty in the East, but in California it is so commonly 

 met with that one soon forgets to wonder. The first 

 time I heard the male Anna Hummingbird sing, he was 

 perched upon a wire clothes-line and squeaking right 

 merrily, " Te-nit, te-nit, te-wieu, wieu, wieu," repeating 

 it over and over again. This charming performance 

 lasted most of one bright May morning in San Jose\ 

 and when later I discovered a little mate brooding on a 

 nest in a climbing rose, I could but fancy the song was 

 for her benefit. One thing I know, he was " on guard," 

 for whenever I ventured near the rose tree, he flew at 

 me with a harsh little screech, sometimes right into my 

 face. When I found him away from the vicinity of the 



