The A Hen Hummer 
alert, and finally had a fleering glimpse oi' On May 24, as we were 
breaking camp, a male bird v. ith shrill i n. - mgs darted in front of me, 
and passed in the sunlight: but a few v-\ > ay. Though gone again 
before 1 could make a : nave far a gun. tin. -.hi was sufficient to clinch 
the identification, ro my own satisi ■■ w least, for the green back 
and top of head and -foaming red :■ gether with the manner of 
flight, formed an unmistakable combin ai ,u of characters.’’ 
The Broad-tailed Hummer is essem tally a mountain-loving species, 
breeding as dm season advances to the very tops of the ranges. The 
nests themselves ,re placed at the lower levels (reckoning the ground as 
bass, level) and indifferently in bushes, maples, oaks, or evergreen trees. 
But because numb of its range i- ; arid, the vicinity of streams is closely 
adhered to. '■ >»- nests are richly ornamented with lichens, if such are to 
be hodo bin b mw, a covering- of baric-shreds, dead leaves, or particles 
of ■•:»! - ’c e T s . The female is a close sitter and will suffer the 
po -- ; ■ tee nam'd 'being comparable in this respect with the Cnlypte 
! krmr.o * :-dc : than her own congeners. 
No. 182 
Allen’s Hu m mer 
Allen’s Hummer 
. ij, ... 
i>escr.* 
; - 111 ; , 
ft-niiP 
tale and female, about life size 
From a •water-color fainting by Major Allan Brooks 
■ .dp shining l>ron/\ green tduliei on crown), the color of back some- 
by outcropping of underlying rufous; underparts, including belly, 
■ hanging to white on • i:e.-i only: tail-feathers without notching or 
two enter pairs -mailer and very narrow, the outermost acicular. 
similar to adult female of S. ntfm. but with tail as in male 
id lib male >2.6 yt.25;; ring tS.6 fj.52); tail 29.7 (1. 17); bill 16 
title larger. 
■" c.o . Marks. Pygmy size; fiery gorget with green back of male unniis- 
■ . -vi .-tinguislinble out of hand from bat of S. rufus; outermost tail- 
he.---- ! :ss wc 1 n . 10 in. wide (nun 2.5). 
>e?u»:ig. > >/• K'tertorly of tine green moss 'Invariably present), occasion- 
. -I mu !■; dead leaves, flower-heads, etc., or even lichens, bound on with 
■ .1 v. hire plant-down, or, rarely, of sycamore down; placed chiefly 
<■ ir. :'■■■' • red situations against banks, more rarely in trees. Eggs: 2; 
■ in--. P !: ■ -. mingbirds. Av. of 24 eggs from Santa Barbara (M. C. 0 . coll.): 
;t ; -i < 4; • t!. A v. of if; eggs front Humboldt Co.: 1 2.2 x 7.9 (.4S x .31). Season: 
ivbniaiy-April: April-June; two broods. 
General Annec. ,.j s in the Pacific Coast district, narrowly, from northern 
i. ( b: ■'•ta • i, Otogi'.n: winters it, northern Lower California and Sonora? 
924 
