360 SHRIEKING BIRDS— STRISORES. 



Calypte Costse, Bourcier. 



COSTA'S HUMMING-BIED. 



Ornismya Cosier, BouRCiEit, Rev. Zool. Oct. 1839, 294. (Lower Caliroiiiia.) — AMis Coslrp, 

 Reichenb.vcii, Joiini. fur Orn. Extraheft, 1853, 1854. — Baikd, 1'. 11. Kep. IX. Birds, 

 138. — Kenneely, X. iv. 22; pi. xix. 



Cahjpte Costa, GouLD, Mon. IIumming-Birds. 



Sp. Char. Tail very slightly cmarginatcd and rounilcd ; exterior feather very narrow, 

 and linear. A \ery long mil' on each side of the throat. Head abo^e and below, with 

 the rnif, covered with nietallie-red, jnn-ple, violet, and steel-green. Remaining npper 

 parts and sides of the body green. Throat' under and between the ruffs, side of head be- 



hind the eye, anal region, and under tail coverts, whitish. Female with the tail rounded, 

 scarcely emarginate ; barred with black, and tipped with wliite. The metallic colors of 

 the head wanting. Length, 3.30 to 3.50 inches ; extent, 4.40 ; -n-ing, 1.75 ; tail, 1.10 ; hill, 

 0.68. Iris brown ; bill and feet black. 



Hah. Southern California and Colorado Basin. Capo St. Lucas. 



This species, distinguished fi-oin A. Anna by its smaller size, and piir])le 

 instead of ruliy-red head, probalily Avinters in the Colorado Valley in small 

 numbers, as Dr. Kenneiiy found them along William's Fork on the 9th of 

 February. I did not, however, observe any at Fort IMojave until ilarcli 

 5th, and they were not numerous afterwards. At San Diego, in the back- 

 ward spring of 18G2, I iirst saw them April 22d, and have since found them 

 north to San Francisco, where, however, they are rare. 



Their notes are faint chirps, and sometimes a sound like the highest and 

 sharpest note that can be made on a violin, uttered as a song, when tlie 

 male is resting on a dead twig. 



Their habits of building have not yet been observed, but doubtless resem- 

 ble those of the Anna humming-liird, to which this is so nearly related. 



This species is extremely abundant at Cape St. Lucas, where many sjieci- 

 mens, mostly in immature plumage, were collected by Mr. Xantus. It 

 appears also to occur on the eastern side of the Gulf of California, at Guay- 

 mas and Mazatlan, as well as on the table-lands of Mexico, and perhajDS of 

 Guatemala. 



