254 Birds of Colorado 
to 10,000 feet (Lowe), Steamboat Springs (Warren), Breckenridge 
(Carter), Buzzard Creek, Mesa co., at 8,000 feet (Rockwell), San Juan co. 
(Drew), and the head-waters of the La Plata (Coues, 78). 
Habits—This Humming-bird is very common, and 
universally distributed over the mountain sides and 
throughout the valleys; it congregates everywhere 
where there are flowers, from which it not only gets the 
nectar, but also the insects attracted to the flowers. 
Tt is also an expert insect-catcher, perching on a dead 
limb and making sharp excursions after passing insects. 
It has a sharp, quick note, uttered when angry or alarmed. 
During early summer it mounts straight up into the 
air, poising itself there for a few moments and then 
descending again, and repeating this manceuvre several 
times. When flymg a rattling, buzzing sound is pro- 
duced by the vibration of the wings, quite different 
from the gentle hum of the eastern Ruby-throat. 
The nest of the Broad-tailed Humming-bird is generally 
placed low down in a willow or alder bush overhanging 
a stream ; though sometimes it is saddled on a horizontal 
bough of a pine or fir ; but it is seldom more than fifteen 
feet from the ground, generally a good deal lower. It is 
an exquisite little structure, built up of the cottony 
down of willows and cotton-woods, and has no feather 
lining. The outside is covered with lichen, leaves or 
shreds of bark, secured with spider or cocoon silk. A 
large nest taken by W. G. Smith at Pinewood, June 
23rd, measured 2 x 1% inches outside, while the cup 
was 1 x #. The eggs are two or very rarely three in 
number, white in colour, and average *50 x ‘33. 
According to Gale fresh eggs may be found in the 
foothills as early as May 6th, at 8,500 feet by June 10th, 
and at 10,000 feet on July 10th. Some observers 
state that two or three broods are raised at 
