Mar., 1911 
THE BLUE-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD 
47 
I knew it was not the Rivoli Hummingbird {^Eugenes fulgens), as its notes were 
well known to me and are very different. I suspected that it was the Blue- 
throated Hummingbird ( Coeligena clemeiiciae ) and one day made sure of it by 
having one perch close to me as I sat, motionless, on a stone. The dull blue throat 
(for it looks dull in a shadow) and general dark color identified it readily. A slight 
movement of mine frightened it. It flew away into the fir tree to its favorite twig, 
and began to “squeak”. This was in 1897. 
In July, 1899, I located a nest built in 
an old Black Phoebe’s nest on a rock 
overhanging a shallow pool. Near here, 
in May, Geo. F. Breninger had taken a 
set from a nest built among some ferns 
growing on a vertical rock. My set con- 
sisted of one egg, incubation well along. 
I attempted to get a photograph of the 
bird on her nest, but on account of the 
dense shadow the exposure was not a 
success. 
Although I made repeated efforts I 
failed to locate another nest until the sea- 
son of 1910. I made my headquarters at 
Berner’s ranch in Ramsay Canyon. He 
has a flower and fruit garden, with sever- 
al small greenhouses for winter use. 
Hanging from a nail in the roof of one of 
these was the handle of a lard bucket, and 
built upon the lower crook was a many- 
storied hummer’s nest, some four inches 
high. It contained one newly hatched 
young. The tell-tale “squeaks” of an 
unseen bird identified my find and by 
keeping out of sight, and quiet, I was 
able to get a good look at the female 
parent. Later I saw very frequently both 
parents feeding among the flowers and 
occasionally within arm’s length of me. 
On May 22 I took a photograph of the 
young one in its nest and judge it was at 
least a week old at that time. On May 
29, I again photographed it and the dif- 
ference in the length of its bill and the 
feathers of its wings and tail was very 
noticeable. On this occasion the young- 
ster fluttered from the nest several times as I was attempting to arrange the camera 
for the exposure. The next day I left for town and did not get back again until 
June 16. I at once investigated this nest and found it empty. 
During the last few days of my previous visit, I had seen the female in a bunk- 
house that had formerly been used as a greenhouse. A piece of baling wire was 
wound around a nail in a rafter and formed a sort of hook. When I found the 
young one gone, I went at once to this bunkhouse and found the female sitting on 
Fig. 20. EGGS AND NEST OE BEUE-THROATED 
HUMMINGBIRD, BUILT ON BUCKET-BAIL 
SUSPENDED FROM CEILING INSIDE 
OF GREENHOUSE ‘ 
