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adjoining felt-like matting of pappus, 8 agglutinated and nous around the twig with a thick layer of spider's
web. The eggs, as usual, are two, white and elliptical. The note resembles that of the Rufous Humming
Bird, and is a slender chep, frequently repeated ; but daring the breeding season they are very pugnacious,
and the little combatants dart through the trees like Brcteors, uttering a loud and repeated twittering
scold. It has the same habit also that has been remarked in the Rufous Humming Bird, that of ascending
in clear weather to a considerable height in the air, and then descending with great rapidity, uttering at the
same time a peculiar note. Its ruff too, like that of rufus, is erectile.

‘Nuttall, who brought this species from California, did not procure the male, but saw it frequently, and
supposed it to have a yellow spot on the crown. I discovered that that which deceived him in this respect
was the glutinous pollen of a tubular flower upon which it feeds, adhering to the rigid feathers of the crown,
and making it look as if it really had a yellow head. I have also seen the bill for half its length covered jn
the same manner.”

The sexes differ very considerably in colour, the female being destitute of the fine metallic hues which

adorn the head and throat of the male.

The male has the head, ear-coverts, throat, and the elongated ruff-like feathers on the sides of the neck,
brilliant metallic crimson; all the upper surface and wing-coverts golden green; wings purplish brown;
central tail-feathers bronzy green, the remainder dark brown with paler internal edges ; breast and centre of
the abdomen grey; flanks golden green; vent and thighs white ; under tail-coverts dull green, edged with
grey; bill black; feet blackish brown.

The female has the head greyish brown; all the upper surface, wing-coverts, and central tail-feathers,
golden green; basal portion of the lateral tail-feathers grey, succeeded by golden green ; their apical portion
being black, and the two outer ones on each side tipped with white; wings purplish brown ; under surface
grey, washed with green on the sides of the neck and flanks, and with a few brilliant fiery-red feathers in
the centre of the throat.

The Plate represents two males and a female of the natural size. The plant is the Ceanothus floribundus.