BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 511 



Genus PANTERPE Cabanis and Heine. 



Panterpe Cabanis and Heine, Mus. Hein., iii, March, 1860, 43, footnote. (Type, 

 P. insignis Cabanis and Heine.) 



Rather large Trochilidse (length about 105-110 mm.) with the 

 slender, compressed bill slightly longer than head, nasal operculum 

 inconspicuous or mostly covered by frontal feathering, feet rather 

 stout with tarsus mostly naked, tail about two-thirds as long as 

 \\'ing, emarginate or double-rounded, with broad and rather soft 

 rectrices, and very brilliant coloration, the ])ileum brilliant blue or 

 violet, throat brilliant golden, orange, or scarlet, a blue or violet 

 pectoral patch, upper tail-coverts blue, the tail uniform blue-black 

 or violet-black. 



Bill slightly longer than head, straight, very slender, compressed; 

 culmen rounded but basally contracted into a well-defined ridge; 

 tomia smooth; mandible with a distinct lateral median groove or 

 sulcus, the maxilla with indication of a smiilar groove. Nasal oper- 

 culum inconspicuous, being mostly covered by the overhanging 

 frontal feathers, which anteriorly form a truncated or slightly emar- 

 ginate antia. Tarsus rather stout, its upper half clothed with short 

 feathers; anterior toes about equal in length, the hallux slightly 

 shorter, all the toes rather stout, with well -developed and very 

 acute claws. Wing three times (more or less) as long as exposed 

 culmen, the outermost primary longest. Tail about two-thirds as 

 long as wing, emarginate or slightly double-roinided, the rectrices 

 very broad, rather soft. 



Coloration. — Pileum brilliant metallic blue, violet-blue or violet 

 bordered posteriorly by velvety black; back, etc., metallic green, 

 passing into blue on upper tail-coverts; tail uniform blue-black or 

 violet-black; under parts mostly brilliant metallic green but this 

 relieved by a violet jugidar area and brilliant golden orange or scarlet 

 on throat. Sexes alike. 



Range. — High mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama, 

 (Monotypic.) 



PANTERPE INSIGNIS Cabanis and Heine. 



IRAZtJ HtrMMING BIRD. 



Adults (sexes alike)." — Forehead and crown bright metallic blue 

 (varying from greenish to a slightly ])urplish hue), the feathers dusky 

 gray basally with a bar of velvety black (concealed) between the gray 

 basal portion and the metallic blue tip; loral and supra-auricular 

 regions, occiput, and nape velvety black (a) changing to bronze or 

 dull coppery bronze in position c; back, scapulars, and wing-coverts 



« After careful examination of a very large series of specimens I can not find that 

 there is even an average difference of coloration between the sexes, some of the most 

 brightly colored specimens being females, while some of the dullest are males. 



