HUMMING BIRDS. 49 



sheet had to be paid, and I remember that many times he 

 had to print his newspaper on all sorts of coloured papers, 

 light brown, blue, or any other light colour. 



From March to August, I collected specimens of Natural 

 Historv. Many were the species of beetles and butterflies 

 that I collected in the suburbs of San Francisco. During my 

 rambles I very often met another Frenchman, the well-known 

 collector Lorquin, who was chiefly searching for insects. 

 Lorquin was an enthusiastic collector, who had already 

 done good work in Philippines, Celebes, and New Guinea. 

 I also collected many species of birds, and more particu- 

 larly Humming-birds. Two species were abundant, Calypte 

 annae and Selasphorus rufiis. I found many nests of these 

 two species during the months of March and April, and at 

 one time I had as many as sixty of them alive, all taken from 

 the nests. I fed them with fresh flowers and small insects. 

 Some of them lived four months. At first I had them all 

 together in a large cage made on purpose, but as soon as they 

 were grown up, they began to fight so much that I was obliged 

 to put them in separate cages. I put one pair in each, and I 

 succeeded in keeping them alive and w^ell for a long time. 

 My intention w^as to send them alive to Europe, but even the 

 most robust died at sea, and it was a complete failure. 



Nevertheless, I think if the same experiment was re- 

 peated in Florida, New Orleans, or NeW' York, with Trochiliis 

 colubris, there are many probabilities that they would arrive 

 alive in Europe ; but, of course, they could not live long there. 

 Since 1852, I think one experiment of that sort has been made 

 with the Columbian species, and many of them arrived safely 

 in Paris ; but thev died soon after their arrival. There is 

 more chance with the northern species. 



Calypte annae, and Selasphorus rufus are two very fine 

 species. C. annae has the head and throat of the most 

 beautiful metallic crimson ; the upper surface is golden-green, 

 the breast and abdomen gray, and the flanks w^ashed with 

 green. Selasphorus rufus has the upper surface bronzy- 

 green, the throat metallic coppery red, very brilliant, and the 

 undersurface w^hite. Thev have the same habits as the other 

 species. They breed in California. I think that Calypte annae 

 is a species peculiar to California and the surrounding 

 countries ; but not so with Selasphorus rufus, or the Flame 

 bearer. The latter migrates as far south as the State of 

 Oaxaca, (Mexico), where I collected many specimens. They 

 are also found abundantly in the Rocky Mountains and 



