SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 337 



manifestations in the admirably-balanced system 

 of creation ! 



The specific characters of these three species, 

 whose northern range I believe was first defined 

 by myself, are briefly as follows : 



Selasphorus rufus (the Nootka or Red-backed 

 Hummingbird). Male: tail strong and wedge- 

 shaped ; upper parts, lower tail-coverts, and back, 

 cinnamon; throat coppery red, with a well-de- 

 veloped ruff of the same, bordered with a white 

 collar ; tail-feathers cinnamon, striped with pur- 

 plish-browii. Female: plain, cinnamon on the 

 back, replaced with green ; traces only of me- 

 tallic feathers on the throat. Length of male, 

 3*50 ; wing, 1'56 ; tail, 1'31 inches. Habitat: 

 West coast of North America to lat. 53 N., ex- 

 tending its range southward through California, 

 to the Rio Grande. 



Stellata Calliope. Male : back bright-green ; 

 wings brownish; neck with a ruff of pinnated 

 mao-enta-coloured feathers, the lower ones much 



G 



elongated; abdomen whitish; length, about 2 '75 

 inches. Female, much plainer than the male, with 

 only a trace of the magenta-coloured ruff. 



Trocliilus Alexandra (Black-throated Hum- 

 mingbird). Male : tails lightly forked, the chin 

 and upper part of the throat velvety black 



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