268 TROCHILIDZ. 
species was discovered in Costa Rica in 1865; and these two birds now constitute the 
genus, which is restricted in its range to Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and the mountainous 
portion of Western Panama. 
The position of Microchera is always likely to be questioned, so peculiar is the 
coloration of the two birds belonging to it. Gould placed it next to Florisuga, with 
Lophornis following ; Mr. Elliot associated it with MMellisuga. Neither view seems to 
us to be correct. A careful examination of the bill shows that the tomia of the 
maxilla are distinctly serrate towards the end, Lophornis, Florisuga, and Mellisuga 
having it perfectly smooth. The inter-ramal space is feathered, the bill slender, and 
the tomia of the maxilla are curved inwards towards the tip; the sexes are dissimilar, 
the tail more or less rounded, the bill nearly straight, and the lateral rectrices white at 
the base. These characters bring Microchera and Callipharus together, a not 
unnatural arrangement seeing how largely black is a prevalent colour in their plumage. 
They also bring these genera into the vicinity of Hupherusa, from which genus 
Callipharus was separated. Microchera can be at once distinguished from Callipharus 
by the white crown, and by the complete feathering of the nasal covers. 
1. Microchera albocoronata. 
Mellisuga albocoronata, Lawr. Aun. Lyc. N. Y. vi. p. 187, t. 4 (1855) 1. 
Microchera albocoronata, Gould, Mon. Troch. ii. t. 116 (Sept. 1858) *; Salv. P. Z. 8S. 1867, p. 154°; 
1870, p. 207*; Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xvi. p. 66’. 
Supra (a fronte adspecta) fere nigra lete nitenti-cupreo-rubida (a tergo adspecta), pileo toto sericeo-niveo : 
subtus dorso concolor, gula saturate viridi lavata, tectricibus subcaudalibus albis ; caude rectricibus mediis 
saturate cupreo-brunneis, reliquis bitriente basali albis, triente terminali chalybeo-nigra, apicibus ipsis 
albis: rostro omnino nigro. Long. tota 2°7, ale 1-5, caudee 0-75, rostri a rictu 0°6. 
Q supra nitenti-viridis, uropygio et rectricibus mediis magis aureis, rectricibus reliquis albis fascia subter- 
minali chalybeo-nigro ; subtus alba, gutture toto vix griseo-lavato. (Descr. maris et feminz ex Cordillera 
del Chucu, Panama. Mus. nostr.) 
Hab. Panama, Santiago de Veraguas 3, Cordillera del Chucu 4 (Arcé), Belen (Merritt 1 ?). 
Concerning this species, its discoverer, Dr. J. K. Merritt, writes as follows 1:—* It 
was in the autumn of 1852, while stationed in the district of Belen, Veraguas, New 
Granada, that I obtained several specimens of this diminutive Humming-Bird. The 
first one I saw was perched on a twig pluming its feathers. I was doubtful for a few 
moments whether so small an object could be a bird, but upon close examination I 
convinced myself of the fact and secured it. Another I encountered while bathing, 
and for a time I watched its movements before shooting it; this little creature would 
poise itself about three feet or so above the surface of the water, and then as quick as 
thought dart downwards, so as to dip its head in the placid pool, then up again to its 
original position, quite as quickly as it had descended. 
‘These movements of darting up and down, it would repeat in rapid succession, 
which produced not a moderate disturbance of the surface of the water, for such a 
