File:Birds and nature in natural colors - being a scientific and popular treatise on four hundred birds of the United States and Canada (1913) (14565617978).jpg

Identifier: birdsnatureinnat05chic (find matches)
Title: Birds and nature in natural colors : being a scientific and popular treatise on four hundred birds of the United States and Canada
Year: 1913 (1910s)
Authors:
Subjects: Birds -- North America
Publisher: Chicago : A.W. Mumford, Publisher
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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uld kill these tiny creaturesespecially for ornamental purposes. They are the gems of nature, yet one day,in the year 1888, over twelve thousand skins of hummingbirds were sold inLondon. And in one week during the same year there were sold at auction,in that city, four hundred thousand hummingbirds and other birds from Northand South America, the former doubtless comprising a very considerable per-centage of the whole number. When we remember that the hummingbird laysbut two eggs, the rapid extermination of some of the species is evident unlessthis wholesale slaughter is stopped. Even the tropics, where bird life is won-derfully abundant, cannot support such wanton destruction. The Rivoli, or the Refulgent hummingbird, as it is frequently called, hasa very limited range. It is found in the mountains of southeastern Arizona,southwestern New Mexico and over the table lands of Mexico, southward toNicaragua. It is one of the largest and most beautiful of the hummingbirds that 848 rn Z ^00
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frequent the United States. Its royal appearance led Lesson, in the year 1829,to name it Rivoli, in honor of M. Massena, the Duke of KivoH. It is notedfor tlie l)eauty of its coloring^ and the bold style of its markings. Mr. Salvin, writin(.j of the pugnacious character of this species, says: Manya time have I thought to secure a fine male, which 1 had, perhaps, been follow-ing from tree to tree, and had at last seen ((uietly perched on a leafless twig,when my deadly inteiuion has been anticipated by one less so in fact, but toall appearances equally so in will. Another hummingbird rushes in, knocks theone I covet off his i)erch, and the two go lighting and screaming away at a pacehardly to be followed by the eye. Another time this Hying fight was sustainedin miilair, the belligerents mounting higher and higher, until the one worstedin battle darts away seeking shelter, followed by the victor, who never relin-quishes the pursuit till the vanquished, by doubling and hiding, succeeds in

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