A beautiful little bird, with the back and tail reddish brown and with a throat of orange red, the feathers being lengthened into a ruff on the sides of the neck. Their nests are made of vegetable fibers covered with lichens and cobwebs, and placed near the ground on vines or low-hanging bushes. Two white eggs.
ALLEN’S HUMMINGBIRD.
434. Selasphorus alleni. 3¼ inches.
This is very much like the last, with the back more greenish and the tail being a reddish brown. They are found on the Pacific Coast from British Columbia southward, breeding most abundantly in southern California.
CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD.
436. Stellula calliope. 3 inches.
This is the smallest of the family of North American Hummers. It is greenish on the upper parts, growing darker toward the tail, the end of which is a light brown. The throat is a rich violet, showing white at the base of the feathers. They are found from British Columbia southward and from the Rockies westward, most common during breeding in California and Oregon. They build their nests in all manner of locations, from high up in tall pines to within a foot of the ground in low bushes. They are made of plant down and shreds of bark and lichens, breeding high up on the mountains.
LUCIFER HUMMINGBIRD.
437. Calothorax lucifer. 3½ inches.