ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD. 209 



haps an hour. Later on the nests were built almost anywhere. As a rule, the 

 early Hummers here build in cypress (often called 'cedar') trees, and the nests 

 are usuall}' lined with feathers. I sujDpose this is due to the lack of vegetable 

 down, which is ])lentiful later, for I have never found a late nest lined with 

 feathers. A nest found on February 22 was lined with red cow hair and looked 

 quite odd. Other of these early nests were lined with Western Bluebird's or 

 Western Robin's feathers, while one contained a large feather of some Owl." 



The nests are most often placed on low branches or twigs overlianging 

 water courses, in sycamore, maple, cottonwood, alder, or sumach trees or bushes, 

 at no great distance from the water; and again they may be found in cypress, 

 Australian blue gum, elder, box elder, and in orchard trees, such as orange, peach, 

 and plum. In Lower California Mr. A. W. Anthony found it also nesting in 

 cholla cactus. Nests are sometimes placed within a foot of the ground, and 

 others fully 35 feet up, the average being from 8 to 15 feet. They may be 

 saddled on a small, drooping limb, or placed in the forks of small twigs; in 

 either case they are substantially built structures and well secured to their 

 surroundings. 



Only two eggs are laid to a set, and these, like all Hummingbird's eggs, 

 are dull white in color and elliptical oval in shape. Incubation lasts from four- 

 teen to sixteen days, and the male does not assist in this duty. 



The average measurement of twenty-four specimens is 13.29 by 8.76 milli- 

 metres, or about 0.52 by 0.34 inch. The largest egg measui-es 14.22 by 8.89 

 millimetres, or 0.56 by 0.35 inch; the smallest, 12.70 by 8.38 millimetres, or 

 0.50 by 0.33 inch. 



The type sjjecimen. No. 21748 (not figured), from a set of two eggs, Ben- 

 dire collection, was taken by Mr. William A. Cooper, near Santa Cruz, Cali- 

 fornia, on May 14, 1872. 



73. Selasphorus floresii Gould. 



FLORESrS HUMMINGBIED. 



Selasphorus floresii Gould, Monograph of the Trochihdfe, Pt. XXIII, September 1, 1861, 

 PI. 10; and Vol. 3, 1861, PL 139. 



(B _, C — , E — , C — , U 431.1.) 



Geographical range: Southwestern Mexico,, Jalisco, and Oaxaca; accidental to 

 California. 



Floresi's Hummingbird or Flame-bearer, an exquisitely plumaged species, 

 can be considered only as an accidental straggler within the borders of the 

 United States, and still remains very rare in collections. It was obtained at 

 Bolanos, Oaxaca, Mexico, in 1845, and remained unique for some time. More 

 recently it has been reported from the State of Jalisco, and Mr. Walter E. 

 Bryant found a specimen in a taxidermist's shop in San Francisco, California, 



16896 -No. 3 U 



