164 
ZOOLOGY. 
ORDER III. INSESSORES. Perching Birds. 
Family TBOCHILIDAE. The Humming Birds. 
SELASPHORUS RUFUS, Swain son. 
Rcd-backcd Humming Bird. 
Trochilut rufus, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 497.— Aud. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 555; pi. 372. 
Selasphorus rufus, Swainson, F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 324.— Ib. Aud. Birds Am. IV, 1842, 200 ; pi. 254.— Baird, Gen. 
Rep. Birds, p. 134. 
? Trochilus ruber, L.— Orn. I, 1788, 499. (Fide Bonaparte.) 
Sp. Ch. —Tail strongly cuneate and wedge-shaped. Upper parts, lower tail coverts, and breast cinnamon. A trace of metallic 
green on the crown, which sometimes extends over the back, never on the belly. Throat coppery red, with a well-developed 
ruff of the same ; below this a white collar. Tail feathers cinnamon, edged or streaked at the end with purplish brown. 
Female with the rufous of the back covered or replaced with green ; less cinnamon on the breast. Traces only of metallic 
feathers on the throat. Tail rufous, banded with black and tipped with white ; middle feathers glossed with green at the end. 
Tail still cuneate. Length of male, 3.50 ; wing, 1.55 ; tail, 1.30. 
Hab. —West coast of North America, and across from Gulf of California to the Upper Rio Grande valley. 
The Nootka Sound humming bird is abundant in the western portions of both Oregon 
and Washington Territories, and Vancouver Island. It also, probably, extends as far north 
as Russian America. It is, indeed, a beautiful little creature, when alive favorably comparing 
with even the most elegant species of this universally admitted brilliant tribe of birds. Con¬ 
sidering the size of the species, they are very hardy, being one of the earliest of the migratory 
birds to arrive in spring. In 1856, at Fort Steilacoom, (latitude 47° 12' north,) they arrived 
from the south about April 10, the first one I obtained being on the 11th of that month. The 
Straits of Juan de Fuca, lying between Vancouver island and the northern portion of Wash¬ 
ington Territory, are about fifteen miles wide. To reach Nootka Sound, on the north side of 
Vancouver Island, they are obliged to fly across the straits. Captain Boyling, of the brig 
Willimantic, informed me that while he was sailing through the straits in September, 1856, 
seven of these little humming birds, of different sizes, flew on board his vessel. This would 
indicate that the commencement of the southern migration is in that month ; probably more 
induced by the scarcity of flowers than by cold, which is generally not much felt before the 
middle of October, and in some seasons not until December. In Washington Territory this 
species commences to incubate about May 10, at which time, and just before, the most fierce 
and angry battles are continually occurring between the males. These battles were generally 
fought by “tilting” at each other at “full speed,” all the time keeping up loud and vociferous 
squeaks and buzzing sounds, resembling somewhat those produced by the common Atlantic 
species under similar circumstances. A nest and eggs of this species I obtained at Newaukam 
prairie, five miles from Fort Slaughter, Washington Territory, May 23, 1856. The female, 
while on the nest, allowed a very near approach, so near as almost to admit being grasped by 
my hand. She had, what I noticed in another female specimen, and what is also referred to by 
Nuttall, a rudimentary metallic ruff on the throat. The nest was situated in a forked branch 
of a “snowberry” bush, and was composed, principally, of fine green moss, lined internally 
with the delicate floss of the cotton-wood poplar, and externally bordered in relief, most 
artistically, with rock lichens, apparently attached for no other purpose than to beautify. 
