OF VIRGINIA 173 
FAMILY TROCHILIDAE.—HUMMING 
BIRDS. 
GENUs ARCHILOCHUS. 
[428]. Arehilochus colubris (Linneus), Ruby-throated 
Hummingbird. 
Rayxce.—Eastern North America. Breeds from south- 
eastern Saskatchewan, central Quebec, and Cape Breton 
Island south to Gulf Coast and Florida; west to North 
Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and central Texas; winters 
from middle and southern Florida and Louisiana through 
southern Mexico and Ceutral America to Panama; casual 
in Cuba in migration. 
As this is the only hummingbird inhabiting our area, 
there is no danger of any one mistaking it. Even the 
city resident has a chance to watch and study this bird, 
for he is a regular visitor to most small gardens containing 
various kinds of flowers, from which he obtains his food 
or honey. Sometimes one may even see him poised, 
seemingly motionless, before a box of flowering plants on 
some window sill, where the “house beautiful” idea is 
being carried out. If you will look closer, you will see 
that his wings are beating with such rapidity that is is 
almost impossible to see them move unless very near him. 
I have often tried to decide which of the two, the humming- 
bird or Blue-gray Gnateatcher, builds the handsomest 
nest; sometimes I think one, sometimes the other. Which- 
ever it may be, however, the hummingbird’s nest is a 
beautifully made affair of plant fiber and down, closely 
woven and lined with plant down. Being covered with 
