The Black-chinned Hummer 
spilling its contents. So elastic is the structure that it will regain its 
shape after being lightly squeezed, and this quality comes in good part 
later, when the babies begin to 
“swell wisibly.” In those last 
days the edges of the nest are 
first stretched to twice their 
former girth by the crowding 
chicks, and then trampled down 
so that the whole is a mere 
platform, a sort of vegetable 
pin-cushion, into which the 
bantlings fasten their needle¬ 
like claws. 
Two eggs are, of course, the 
rule, as with all hummers; but 
in Black-chin’s special case 
three eggs have been several 
times recorded. These are 
white with a pinkish tinge in 
fresh eggs, changing to the dull 
white of blown specimens, or to 
sordid gray or discolored dusky 
in the case of those which are 
near the time of hatching. 
All hummers are more or 
less dependent upon the pres¬ 
ence of water at nesting time, 
but the Black-chin most of all. 
Hence, it comes about that one 
has only to search along the 
bottom of some foothill canyon 
in early May to find Black- 
chins’ nests galore. Many of 
the birds will actually build out 
. Taken in the Ojai 
over the water, and at heights buddies 
ranging from three to fifteen 
feet above it. Although jealous of each other’s presence, they are 
willing to crowd in desirable territory; and it is not uncommon along 
certain favored streams to find a hummer’s nest every fifty feet. 
Most hummers’ nests are seized by other birds and lugged off for 
nest-linings the moment they are vacated; but if they escape such notice, 
they are pretty sure to be utilized by the same pair of hummers the 
Photo by Dickey 
959 
