MY HUMMING BIRDS. 
123 
same time uttering a curious, reverberating, sharp bleat, 
somewbat similar to tbe quivering twang of a dead twig, yet 
also so mucb like tbe real bleat of some small quadruped, 
tbat for some time I searcbed tbe ground instead of tbe air 
for tbe actor in tbe scene. At otber times tbe males were 
seen darting up bigb in tbe air and wbirling about eacb 
otber in great anger and witb mucb velocity. After tbese 
manoevres tbe aggressor returned to tbe same dead twig, 
wbere for days be regularly took bis station witb all tbe 
courage and angry vigilance of a king-bird. 'Tbe angry biss- 
ing or bleating note of tbis species seems sometbing like 
wM f t! i tshvee^ tremulously uttered as it wbirls and sweeps 
tbrougb tbe air, like a musket ball, accompanied also by 
sometbing like tbe wbirr of tbe Nigbt-IIawk. On tbe 29tb 
of May I found a nest of tbis species in a forked brancb of 
tbe Nootka Bramble, Rubus Nuthanus. Tbe female was sit- 
ting on two eggs of tbe same sbape and color as tbose of tbe 
common species. Tbe nest, also, was perfectly similar, but 
somewbat deeper. As I approacbed, tbe female came bover- 
ing round tbe nest, and soon after, wben all was still, sbe re- 
sumed ber place contentedly." 
Dr. Townsend's note is as follows — 
" Nootka Sound Humming Birds, Trochilus rufus^ Ah- 
puets-rinne of tbe Cbinooks. On a clear day tbe male may 
be seen to rise to a great beigbt in tbe air, and descend in- 
stantly near tbe eartb, tben mount again to tbe same altitude 
as at first, performing in tbe evolution tbe balf of a large circle. 
During tbe descent it emits a strange and astonisbingly loud 
note, wbicb can be compared to notbing but tbe rubbing to- 
getber of tbe limbs of trees during a bigb wind. I beard tbis 
singular note repeatedly last spring and summer, but did not 
tben discover to wbat it belonged. I did not suppose it be 
a bird at all, and least of all a bumming bird. Tbe observer 
tbinks it almost impossible tbat so small a creature can be 
capable of producing so mucb sound. I bave never observ- 
ed tbis babit on a dull or cloudy day." 
