133 



developed, and their secretion is used as a glue in cementing the parts of the nest; 

 in some the entire nest is made of inspissated saliva, and forms the "edible birds' 

 nest " of Eastern countries. Small birds of warm countries, closely related to the 

 humming bird, but having a superficial resemblance to the swallows. Genera 6 or 

 8 ; species about 50. 



CH^^TURA, Stephens. Chimney Swallows, 



141. CH.^TURA PELAGICA. Bd. Chimney Swift. Sooty brown; throat 

 paler; tail feathers with the shafts spinous, projecting beyond the plumage. L, 

 S% > W. 5 ; T. 2. An abundant summer resident from May to September last. 

 "Like the swallows, which this bird so closely resembles, not only in its form but 

 in its mode of flight, its food and twittering notes, it has mostly forsaken the ways 

 of its ancestors, who bred in hollow trees, and now places its curious openwork 

 nest of bits of twigs glued together inside disused chimneys." {Coues.) 



FAMILY XXII. TROCHILID^. 



{The Humming Birds.) 



Bill subulate, usually longer than the head, straight or curved ; tongue capable 

 of great protrusion ; wings long and pointed ; secondaries short, only 6 in number-, 

 feet very small, with sharp claws ; smallest of all birds, and among the most bril- 

 liantly colored ; all are American, most of them tropical ; species 300 or more, in 

 some 75 genera ; 11 occur north of Mexico. Noted for their gorgeous coloring, 

 due mainly to the iridescent glitter of their plumage. The females are duller and 

 usually lack the metallic sheen which forms the gorget of the male. The food is 

 either insects or nectar, or both. They are the most active of birds, spirited and 

 at times pugnacious. The nests are exquisite affairs, often pensile, but saddled 

 usually on a small bough, adorned and concealed by stucco work of moss or lichen, 

 and containing not more than two white eggs. 



TROCHILUS. Lin. Ruby-Throated Hitrntning Birds. 



142. T. COLUBRIS. L. Male metallic green above ; a ruby red gorget ; tail 

 deeply forked, purplish ; female without red, the tail variegated ; L. 3)^. Com- 

 mon summer resident from May to September. I have seen them in flocks of 20 to 

 30 on the bloom of the wild crab apple, the females separate from the males ; in 

 1878 all were females, while on the same trees in 1879 only the males were seen. 



FAMILY XXIII. ALCEDINID^. 



{The Kingfishers^ 



Head large ; bill long, straight and strong; gape deep; wings long ; tail short; 

 feet syndactyle. Tail feathers 12. About one hundred species, mainly in Austra- 



