528 Observations on Young Humming-Birds. (June, 
OBSERVATIONS ON YOUNG HUMMING-BIRDS. 
BY H. S. GREENOUGH. 
ae the month of June last, I heard through friends of 
the nest of a humming-bird (7Zrochilus colubris) at Cotuit, on 
Cape Cod, where I was then staying, and having long wished for 
such an opportunity, I immediately decided to do what T could 
towards observing the growth of the young. Unfortunately the 
position of the nest made this rather difficult, for it was on a 
small dead branch of a yellow pine tree, some distance from the 
trunk and twelve to fourteen feet from the ground, or thereabout. 4 
Of four nests’that I have seen, all in Cotuit, three were in yellow 
pines and one ona silver poplar, two about twenty or twenty-five 
: feet high, one nine or ten and the last as above stated ; the one 
Ren on the poplar was on a small dead branch ; with regard to those 
that were highest up, I do not remember whether they were on 
oes dead limbs or not. 
ie The young birds were first seen by me on a Saturday, the pre- f 
vious Wednesday a lad, whom I sent up the tree, reported two i 
eggs, as he had already done once before, so that I cannot z 
when the birds were hatched, and had feared to make daily visits 
at this stage lest I should frighten away the old bird. By means 
of a long step-ladder, improvised for the occasion by tying t0- 
gether two ordinary ladders, I was enabled to view the young 
within a few inches. Though very small, they were rather larger 
than I had expected them, and appeared to be already covered for 
the most part, a bare 
streak extending, 
however, down the 
middle of the back; 
nee Fic. 1,—Diagrammatic sketch from memory of young 5 
~ when first =n = trifle reduced; heads too small in ¢ccirostral type * 
oe extending $ 
: below the eye, I am not sure, I feared to take the young an s -i 
