1871.] 283 [Grayson. 



ish lichens ; it contained two newly hatched young, but little larger 

 than flies." 



Col. Grayson's description, as given above, differs from C. latiros- 

 tris in making the front blue and the tail green, whereas in that spe- 

 cies there is no blue on the front, and the tail is steel blue ; in all 

 other respects it agrees with latirostris ; as Col. Grayson says he 

 obtained but two species of humming birds at the Marias, and I find 

 in his collection from there only P. Graysoni and C. latirostris, I 

 can only conclude that his description is intended for the latter spe- 

 cies, and the errors were made by some inadvertence. Col. Grayson 

 states that neither of these species inhabits the main land, but in his 

 collection from Mazatlan, no doubt made subsequemtly, I find a spe- 

 cimen of C. latirostris] P. Graysoni, however, has not been found 

 elsewhere than at the Tres Marias. 



39. Pyrrhophsena graysoni Lawr. "Cinnamon-breasted 

 Humming Bird; Chopa-flores." 



" In my visit to the Tres Marias it has been my good fortune to 

 discover this new addition to the large group to which it belongs. 



" This rather large humming bird is very abundant on the Islands, 

 where they seem to be continually at war with each other ; in fact 

 they attack every bird, and even the butterflies, should they approach 

 some chosen flowering plant which they guard unremittingly as their 

 own treasure. As they dart like a golden sunbeam through the 

 woods, they often utter then- shrill note of t'weet, t'weet, t'weet. 



" Sometimes combats between them become of a desperate nature. 

 One day while watching a number of them in active motion around 

 some tobacco flowers (of which they seem to be very fond) two fine 

 males after darting at each other for some time, at length came to a 

 deathly struggle, high above my head ; they finally clinched each 

 other, each having one of the mandibles of the other in his mouth, at 

 the same time scratching with their little claws, and using their wings 

 with the greatest force, and in this situation, whirling round and round 

 they fell to the ground near my feet. During this terrible conflict, in 

 which passion and desperation were exhibited, I observed them for a 

 few seconds and then gently placed my hat over both ; even after 

 they were thus captured, and I held one in each hand, they evinced 

 a desire to continue the war. 



" I have seen this species frequently darting from its perch upon 

 passing diminutive flies like a real fly-catcher. I found the gizzard, 



