TROCHILID.E — THE HUMMING-BIRDS. 



453 



Genus CALYPTE, Gould. 



Calyptc, Gould, Iiitiod. Trochilidiu, 18B1, 87. (TyiJu, Orni/smya cushv.) 



Gen". Char. Bill longer than the head, straight or slightly curved ; tail rather short. 

 Outer primary not attenuated at end. Top of head, as well 

 as throat, with metallic scale-hke feathers, a decided and P^oo S , /,39400S 



elongated ruff on each 



side the neck. 



Calypte costfE. 



any other in North America. 



The metallic 

 feathers on top 

 of head, the at- ^<^yj"' "^"^■ 



teimated outer tail-feathers (except in C. 

 hehnm), and the elongated ruff, distinguish 

 the males of this genus very readily from 



Species. 



A. No rufous on tail-feathers ; tail forked or emarginated. 



a. Lateral tail-feather as broad as the others ; tail emarginated. Rump and 



middle tail-feathers blue. 



C. helenae.' Ver_y small (wing, 1.1.5) ; metallic hood and rufl' of 

 the male purplish-red. Hab. Cuba. 



6. Lateral tail-feather al:iruptly narrower than the others, tail forked. Rump 



and middle tail-feathers green. 



C. anna. Large (wing, 2.00) ; outer tail-feather with a double 

 curve, the end inclining outward. Metallic hood and rufl' of the in.ale 

 purplish-red. Hah. California. 



C. costae. Small (wing, 1.75) ; outer tail-feather with a simple 

 curve, the end inclining inward. Metallic hood and ruff of the male 

 violet^blue. Hab. Southern California, Arizona, and Mexico. 



B. Inner webs of tail-feathers mostly rufous, and outer webs edged with the 

 same. Tail rounded. Lateral tail-feather al.iruptly narrower than the others. 



C. floresi." Size of C. anna. Hood and ruft" of the male crimson. 

 Huh. Table-lands of Mexico (Bolanos). 



' Cahjpte Iiehnos, (Lemr.) Goui.d, Monog. Troch. Ill, pi. cxxxvi. Orlhorhynchus Jieknce, 

 Lemb. Ares (le I'lsle de Cuba, p. 70, pi. x, fig. 2. 0. boothi, Gu.sDL. MSS. (Gould, Monog.). 



^ Cab/plc floresi, (LoDD.) Trochilus floresi, Lonn. MSS. SeUisphorus floresi, Gould, Monog. 

 Trofh. HI, pi. cxxxi.x. There are certainly few rca.sons for considering this bird as a Sclnspho- 

 rus, whilp there are many for referring it to C'ali/pte. The only feature that it shares with the 

 former is the peculiar coloration, and to some extent the shape, of the tail. However, in &■- 

 lasphorus the outer primary is always (in the male) attenuated and acute at the tip, and the 

 crown is never metallic, while in Cah/pte the outer primary is never attenuated nor acute, and 

 the crown of the male is always metallic. The form and coloration of the tail are nothing more 

 than a specific character, .since no two species, of either genus, agree in this respect. In view, 

 then, of these considerations, wc find floresi to be strictly congeneric with the other species of 

 Cahjpte. 



