BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA, 677 



MytimaMvLSAi<!T, Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon, n. s., xxii, 1876, 224 (Cat. Ois.-Mouch., 

 p. 28); Hist. Nat. Ois.-Mouch., iii, 187G, 235. (Type, Trorhilus Ictitise 

 Bourcier.) 



Mythinia (emendation?) Mulsant and Verreaux, Hist. Nat. Ois.-Mouch., iii, 

 1876, 235. 



Small Trochilidse (length, including long tail of adult males, about 

 70-120 mm.) related to Lophornis, but differing in forked tail (in 

 adult male greatly elongated, with lateral rectrices attenuated ter- 

 minally), absence of ornamental head plumes (except a slender, 

 lapwing-like crest in one species), and more uniform coloration. 



Bill (unfeathered portion) shorter than head, straiglit, nearly terete; 

 culmen rounded except basally, where more or less distinctly ridged; 

 tomia smooth ; mandible with the usual lateral median groove. Nasal 

 operculum moderately broad to rather narrow, nude, but hidden by 

 appressed frontal feathering, which anteriorly extends considerably 

 beyond anterior end of nostrils, forming a short, obtuse point or 

 antia on each side of culmen. Tarsus naked; inner toe about as 

 long as middle toe, the outer toe slightly shorter. Wing between 

 three and four times as long as ex])osed culmen, the outermost (tenth) 

 primary longest, rather narrow but with ti]) rounded, the ninth with 

 outer web abruptly incised (almost obliterated) for terminal third or 

 fourth, in one species (P. popelairi) entire outer web of both ninth 

 and tenth primaries obsolete. Tail in adult males about one and a 

 half times as long as wing to more than twice as long, forked for 

 much the greater part of its length, the lateral rectrices narrow and 

 attenuated terminally; in adidt females about three-fifths as long as 

 wing, forked, but with lateral pair of rectrices shorter than the next. 



Coloration. — Above metallic green or bronze - green, including 

 pileuni, the rump crossed by a narrow band or bar of wliite, this 

 often succeeded by a blackish area. Adult males with cliin, throat, 

 and chest metallic green, the remaining under parts mostly green or 

 blackish, or else chin and throat metallic green, chest and middle of 

 breast and abdomen black, sides and flanks sooty; tail with longer 

 rectrices blue-black, violet-black or grayish, the shafts white on 

 under side; one species with a band of metallic orange-reddish, 

 another with a spot of white, on chest. Adult females with under 

 parts niLxed black, green, and white, the lateral rectrices tipped with 

 white and grayish basally. 



Range. — Costa Rica to Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. (Five species.) 



It is probable that this genus should be restricted to P. jyopelairii, 

 which differs from all the others in its very conspicuous, long and 

 slender, lapwing-like crest, almost complete obliteration of outer web 

 of ninth and tenth primaries, more strongly curved prmiaries, and 

 relatively much shorter wing, the latter only about three times as 

 long as the exposed culmen instead of nearly to quite four times as 



