Birds and Nature Vol. 11 No. 4 [April 1902]

Various

Various

Birds and Nature Vol. 11 No. 4 [April 1902]

WHAT TIME O’ YEAR?

In leafless woods, the purpled wind-flower sways,

And violets, in penciled lines, or blue,

Blossom in gentle groups, and, blanched of hue,

The fern unfolds, by painted orchis sprays.

The columbine, on hills and sandy braes

Swings to the bees, that colored pollens strew

Below its bells, while singing, soared from view,

The meadow-lark still mounts the heavenward ways.

I know thee, April! thine the azure mist,

Lifted and lowered, like a lady’s veil,

Before the rims of woodland sunshine kissed;

And thine the lated twilight’s golden sail,

When slanting lines of fire and amethyst,

Riot in withered field and sodden swale.

    – Eliza Woodworth.

APRIL

“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 di