“Here is April!” cuckoo cries
From the tall tree near the skies;
“April! April!” croaks the frog
From his dank hole in the bog;
“April!” sings the thrush again
From his clay nest in the lane.
April, ’tis thy merry weather
Makes the wild colt burst his tether;
April in his royal dower
Has soft sunbeam and sharp shower;
April is the very soul of youth,
Eye of love, and heart of truth—
That is April.
—Walter Thornbury, “The Twelve Brothers.”
THE BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD.
(_Trochilus alexandri._)
To the ornithologist who may be so fortunate as to visit Southern
California in the spring, when Nature has put on her holiday attire,
and everything appears at its best, our friends, the feathered
midgets, will contribute not a little to the pleasure of his stay.
—Benjamin T. Gault.
The Black-chinned Hummingbird has a long and narrow range extending
along the Pacific coast from Southern British Columbia southward into
Southern Mexico, where it passes the winter. Eastward its range extends
to Western Montana, Western Colorado, New Mexico, and Western Texas. In
some portions of this range it is very abundant, while in others that
are apparently as well suited to its habits it is rare, or never seen at
all.
This Hummingbird, which also bears the name Purple-throated and
Alexandre’s Hummingbird, is very similar in its habits to our eastern
ruby-throat. Even in its call notes and antics while wooing its mate it
is almost a counterpart of the eastern species.
Next to the Anna’s hummingbird, the Black-chinned is the most
conspicuous of all the hummingbirds that frequent southern California.
At twilight it is a frequent visitor to the orange groves, and later, as
night approaches, it retires to the mountain sides, where, with numerous
individuals of its own kind and other birds, it finds a resting place
through the dark hours.
Mr. B. T. Gault has related an interesting anecdote that occurred in his
experience with hummingbirds. He once found a nest of the Black-chinned
species in which there were eggs nearly ready to hatch. Wishing the
nest, which was an exceedingly fine one, he cut the branch only to find
the eggs of no value as specimens. Finally, finding a nest in which
there were two fresh eggs, he took them and substituted the two older
ones. The female bird watched this action from a nearby branch.
Returning a few days later, he was surprised to find two little naked
worm-like bodies in the nest. Naturally satisfied and pleased over the
result of his experiment he says: “The old bird seemed pleased too, as
she watched me from a neighboring branch, while arranging her feathers,
evidently wondering why I should take such a deep interest in her
treasures. And well she might be pleased, for incubation had been robbed
of all its tediousness in this case and the pair acting on this
assumption undoubtedly hatched another brood, but not in such haste, I
venture to say.”
The nests are delicate affairs, and in many cases resemble small
sponges, readily assuming their normal form if the edges are pressed
together. The inner cup is seldom more than one inch in diameter. The
walls are usually composed of the down of willows. This is firmly woven
by an unsparing use of spider web. Usually a few small leaves and scales
of willow buds are attached to the outer face, evidently to give it
stability.
It has been stated that hummingbirds invariably lay but two eggs in each
set. The female Black-chinned Hummingbird seems to be at least one of
the exceptions that prove the rule. Major Bendire says that “nests of
this species now and then contain three eggs, all evidently laid by the
same female, and such instances do not appear to be especially rare.”
The Black-chinned Hummingbird is like all the other birds of its kind.
Always inquisitive, never afraid to combat a foe and always active, the
lines of Jones Very are especially applicable to its character:
Like thoughts that flitted across the mind,
Leaving no lasting trace behind,
The humming-bird darts to and fro,
Comes, vanishes before we know.
[Illustration: BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD.
(Trochilus alexandri.)
About Life-size.
FROM COL. CHI. ACAD. SCIENCES.]