RIDGWAY ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 43 



On the 9th, another nest was discovered in the same way. This 

 time it was built in a greasewood three feet from the ground and 

 contained two eggs in which incubation was commenced. 



On the 13th, I found hummingbirds abundant along a little 

 stream at the base of the mountains. Three-fourths of those seen 

 were $, and, apparently T. Costce. All were in active motion so 

 that it was difficult to get such as I wanted. T. rufus and T. 

 alleni were pugnacious as usual but costce held its own well. The 

 $ were sharp tempered too, as if the excitement of moving had 

 had its usual effect. The next day alleni and rufus were all gone, 

 alexandri, however, still remained, though costce was still in much 

 greater number. 



The $ of the latter species keep up a pretty constant vocal 

 noise while feeding, which somewhat resembles the buzz of their 

 wings. The feeding note of the $ is finer and not as frequently 

 heard. 



The note of T. alexandri, both $ and $, is similar to that of 

 the ? costce. I have heard the song of each, but it was some time 

 since, and, as I remember it, there was little difference between the 

 two species. I think that the males are the only ones who sing. 

 The song is sweet and very low, but if it is perfectly quiet around, 

 it can be distinctly heard for a distance of ten yards. As might be 

 expected from the size of the bird, it is on a very high key, some- 

 thing like the sound produced by whistling between the teeth, very 

 low, yet at a high pitch. It might be called a warble and I have 

 heard it kept up for several minutes at a time. At such times I 

 have never been able to find a $ in the vicinity and have come to 

 the conclusion that it was sung for the individuals own amusement. 



The courtship-song, if such it may be called, is a very different 

 affair. We will take T. costce for example: the $ is setting on a 

 twig in a low brush, not on an exposed twig as is often the case 

 when she is merely resting, but when the $ begins she goes further 

 in, as if she feared that he really intended mischief, while he rises 

 high in the air, and, with a headlong swoop, comes down, passing 

 her and turning with a sharp curve as near her as is possible mounts 

 on high to repeat the manoeuvre again and again. A shrill whistle 

 is heard as^he begins to descend, starting low and becoming louder 

 and louder, until, as he passes her, it becomes a shriek which is 

 plainly audibly for a distance of 100 yards or more. As he mounts 

 again it dies away only to be repeated at the next descent. This is 

 a common manoeuvre with the species. 



