The Broad-tailed Hummer 
to be borne, and the Hummer buzzed off,—but was back in a moment. 
Then, since I could not see the contents of the nest from the place where 
I was obliged to be in order to reach her by hand, I too went higher, 
and started to poke her off. Believe me, nothing but main strength of 
a stick forcibly pressed against her breast induced her to give up and 
disclose her single white egg,—which was no sooner seen than birdie 
was back again, defying me to touch her. 
This was Friday, June ioth, and a second egg was laid on Sunday. 
On Monday, after we had, regretfully, performed the duties of our office, 
William proffered the nest to its mistress and gained instant acceptance. 
On three occasions she allowed him to carry her, nest and all, for a dis¬ 
tance of three or four feet, and so up to his face. Once he clapped his 
hand over her and could, of course, have held her prisoner. All this, 
mind you, on an empty nest. But the bird was nothing daunted by 
persecution, and would have played the game to any length, had human 
patience lasted. 
No. 181 
Broad-tailed Hummer 
A. 0 . U. No. 432. Selasphorus platycercus (Swainson). 
Description. — Adult male: Gorget, slightly produced on sides, iridescent purple 
(between aster purple and amaranth purple); upperparts shining green, with brassy 
reflections; tail chiefly black, with violet reflections; the central pair of rectrices darker 
green, at least the next succeeding pair and sometimes the adjoining pairs on either 
side edged on the outer web with cinnamon; the three outer pairs of rectrices edged 
with cinnamon on the inner web and tipped with white; throat below gorget abruptly 
white, shading into greenish dusky of breast and sides; the sides largely tipped with 
shining green; the under tail-coverts white with greenish tips. Adult female: Similar 
to male, but without purplish gorget, and lacking the shining green of breast and sides; 
chin and upper throat white or washed variously with orange-rufous; the lower throat 
and sides of neck flecked with greenish; the sides of breast and sides washed with pale 
cinnamon; the underparts otherwise more extensively white, or else tinged with cin- 
namomeous; tail-feathers extensively rufous at base and the three outer pairs broadly 
tipped with white. Length of adult males about 101.6 (4.00); wing 50 (1.97); tail 
30.5 (1.20); bill 17.6 (.69). Females average slightly larger. 
Recognition Marks. —Midget size; most like Archilochus coluhris of the East 
in general appearance. Purple gorget not rayed (as in Stellula calliope ), distinctive 
for range. The female comes into most frequent comparison with that of A. alexandri, 
from which it may be distinguished by the presence of the rufous element upon the sides. 
Nesting. — Nest: A cup of felted plant-downs, often white, not otherwise 
lined, but covered externally with lichens, dead leaves, or bark-shreds, held in place 
by cobwebs; placed 3 to 20 feet high on twigs, horizontal branches, or variously, in 
