the year. "Its distribution within that State," says Prof. Ridgway, "is pretty general, 

 though it is said to be much less frequent in the low valleys than in the mountains in 

 summer, probably on account of the comparative scarcity of flowers. At San Diego it 

 is said to be more numerous in winter than in summer, as is probably the case in other 

 parts of southern California." The bird also occurs in Arizona and in Mexico. 



The beautiful little nest is built preferably in low horizontal branches of the Cali- 

 fornia live-oak {Quercus agrifolia), and such a domicile has been beautifully portrayed 

 by the masterhand of my friend, Mr. Robert Ridgway. It also builds in the branches 

 of the photinia or tollon {Heteromeles arbuti folia) , one of the most beautiful evergreen 

 trees of this country. A typical nest now before me was constructed in the same manner 

 as the one figured by Mr. Ridgway. Placed on a horizontal branch of Quercus agrifolia, 

 it is made of a commingUng of mosses and plant-down, covered externally with a lace- 

 like yellow lichen {Ramalina Menziesii). It is about two inches in diameter and one 

 inch high. 



Mr. W. Otto Emerson describes a nest that was found near San "Francisco, Cal., 

 on Feb. 22. It was built in the top of a branch of a cypress tree in a church yard, 

 seven feet above the ground, and was made of "bits of bark, moss, and stamens from 

 the blue gum tree blossoms, with bits of lichens fastened on with spider's webs ; inside 

 of thistle-down with a few bird feathers. It measures across the top 1.75 inches; depth 

 inside .75; outside 1.90 inches; across the bottom, 1.25 inches." Another nest of which 

 Mr. Emerson speaks, was found March 24. 



Mr. H. R. Taylor of Alameda, Cal., gives the foUow-ing interesting description of 

 the nidification of this species: "Anna's Hummingbird is not very particular as to 

 location when it begins to think of a home for its young. I have found their nests in 

 orchards, in cactus and in fine cypress, eucalyptus, and many other trees. I have seen 

 them forty feet from the ground, and again so low that the cozy structure was dis- 

 covered by the angry buzzing of the female, as she flew from her eggs close by my head. 

 I once saw a nest in a rather odd situation; it was in a locust tree where there were 

 only bare limbs and twigs. Another example of a bird's idiosyncrasy was a nest built 

 about fifteen feet up in a eucalyptus. A dry twig had fallen among some green leaves 

 and shoots next the trunk of the big tree, and on this precarious foundation the Hum- 

 mingbird had built its nest.— Anna's Hummingbird doubtless raises several broods 

 yearly, for nests are found early and late in the season. My earliest date is February 

 13, incubation far advanced. Mr. A. M. IngersoU found a nest with eggs nearly hatched 

 on January i4. 



"It is not the easiest thing to find a Hummingbird's nest, the birds are such 

 deceivers. Often I have twisted my head about in a surprising manner to follow a swift- 

 speeding Humnier which stopped a moment about some tree to buzz and then suddenly 

 darted down to settle on the nest. Sometimes they appear to fly directly past the tree 

 containing the nest, but turn in the air with wonderful rapidity and go like a flash to 

 cover their eggs. In size and construction the nest of Anna's Hummingbird varies 

 greatly. Very often they are quite large for the size of the bird and decked with beau- 

 tifiil lichens and moss, and I remember one which was exceedingly shatUow and built of 

 nothing but willow cotton." 



48 



