RUBY-THEOATED HUMMINGBIRD. 257 



The original nesting place of the Swifts was in a hollow tree, 

 often of large diameter, and frequented year after year by a great 

 many of the birds, but now they seem to prefer a city chimney. 

 There they roost, and fasten their curious basket nests to the wall, 

 inside the chimney, a few feet down, to be out of reach of the rays of 

 the sun. A fine exhibition of bird-life it is to watch the Swifts, in 

 the evening about sunset, circling a few times round the chimney,, 

 raising their wings above their backs and dropping like shuttlecocks 

 down to their nest, near which they spend the night clinging to the 

 wall with their claws. The sharp spines at the end of the tail 

 feathers, pressed against the surface, form their chief support. 



They arrive about the 10th of May, and leave for the south early 

 in September. 



Suborder TROCHILI. Hummingbirds. 



Family TROCHILID^. Hummingbieds. 



Genus TROCHILUS Linn^us. 



Subgenus TROCHILUS. 



TROCHILUS COLUBRIS Linn. 



183. Ruby-throated Hummingbird. (428) 



Male : — With the tail forked, its feathers all narrow and pointed ; no scales 

 on crown ; metallic gorget reflecting ruby-red, etc. ; above, golden green ; below, 

 white ; the sides, green ; wings and tail, dusky purplish. Female : — Lacking- 

 the gorget ; the throat, white ; the tail, somewhat double-rounded, with black 

 bars, and the outer feathers white-tipped. Length, 3J ; wing, 1§ ; bill, §. 



Hab. — Eastern North America to the Plains, north to the Fur Countries,, 

 and south, in winter, to Cuba and Veragua. 



Nest, a beautiful specimen of bird architecture, usually placed on the 

 horizontal branch of a tree in the orchard, composed of gray lichens, Lined 

 with the softest plant down. 



Eggs, 2, pure white, blushed with pink while fresh. 



The Hummingbirds begin to arrive towards the middle of May, 

 and by the end of the month, when the lilacs are in bloom, they are 

 quite numerous. About that time many pass on to breed farther 

 north, while others engage in the same occupation here. 



In September they again become common, showing a strong liking 

 for the impaiiens fulva^ or wild balsam, which grows abundantly in 

 moifit places, and later they crowd about the bignonia or trumpet- 

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