460 SYSTEM A TIC SYNOPSIS. — PICARI^ — CYPSELIFOBMES. 



If a female or young, he must refer to the detailed descriptions. He will be much assisted by 

 the figures of generic details, drawn from nature by Mr. R. Ridgway for Mr. D. G. Elliot's 

 monograph, and kindly loaned to me by Prof. Baird. 



Analysis of Genera and Species of N. A. TrochUidce {adult males). 

 Frontal feathers not fully covering nasal scale. Tarsi feathered. Tail emarginate. Bill broad, in part 

 flesh-colored. 

 Nasal scale entirely naked. 



White stripe on head. Crown, face, and chin, black. Tail rufous ..... JiasUinna xantiisi 407 

 Nasal scale partly naked. 



Crown green ; throat blue ; tail blackish lache latirostris 421 



Throat green; tail rufous; sides rufous Amaziliu cervlniventris 420 



Throat green; tail rufous; sides green AmazUiafuscocaudata 41!> 



Frontal feathers covering nasal scale. 

 Bill not perfectly straight. 



Bill curved throughout. Tail forked, with almost filiform lateral feather . . Calothorax hicifer 418 

 Bill nearly straight. Length over 4 inches. Throat and breast green .... Eugenes fidgens 408 

 Bill perfectly straight. Length under 4 inches. 

 Crown as well as throat with metallic scales. 



Scales lilac-crimson. Lateral tail-feather parallel-edged Calypte anna 414 



Scales violet. Lateral tail-feather acutely falcate Cali/pte costee 415 



Crown simply glossy, like back ; throat with metallic scales. 

 Middle tail-feathers unlike back in color. 



Scales confined to ends of throat-feathers, their bases snow-white . . . Stellula calliope 417 

 Middle tail-feathers like back in color ; throat-scales forming a continuous surface. 



Lateral tail-feathers white-tipped ; none acuminate. Outer primary abruptly emarginate 



and acute Atthis heloisa 41C 



Lateral tail-feathers not white-tipped ; some or all acuminate. 

 Throat-scales coppery-red ; back and tail greenish ; outer two primaries acute, falcate ; 



all the tail-feathers acuminate, the two outer acicular Selasplwrus alleni 411; 



Throat-scales coppery-red; back and tail mostly chestnut; primaries as in S. rufus; 



next to middle tail-feather abruptly notched Selasphorus rufus 411 



Throat-scales lilac-red; back golden-green; 1st primary emarginate, turned outward, 



next obliquely incised at end Selasphorus plaUjcercus 413 



Throat-scales opaque black, becoming violet posteriorly ; back golden-green ; primaries 



not peculiar TrocJiilus alexandri 410 



Throat-scales ruby-red; back golden-green. Primaries not peculiar (Eastern) 



Trochilus colubris 409 



134. BASILIN'NA. (6r. fiaaiKivva, basilinna, a queen.) Queen Hummers. Head appearing 

 mure globose than in any other N. Am. genus, in consequence of the non-extension of the 

 feathers on base of upper mandible, where they do not reach 

 opposite those on chin, leaving the turgid nasal scale entirely 

 exposed. Bill broad at base, tapering regularly to tip, with dis- 

 tinct supra-nasal grooves ; scarcely longer than head, straight. 

 Tarsi feathered., Tail ample, all the feathers broad and 

 rounded; nearly even, in jj a little double-rounded by short- 

 ness of both lateral and central pair of feathers, in 9 simjily a 

 -y ~'\.^ y'y^ little rounded. No peculiarity of primaries. Sexes nearly alike 

 in form ; 9 lacking the green gorget of ^ ; bill in both sexes 

 Fig. 300.— Xantus Humming- largely flesh-colored; <J Avith white stripe on head; no white 

 bird, nat. size. (From Elliot.) ^^ ^^^ of gi^j^pj. ^^^ (j^ ^ rpj^j^ ^^^^^ ^^,^^1^ ^^^ 1^^^^^^ 



ranged next after lache.) 

 407. B. xan'tusi. (To L. J. Xantus de Vesey. Fig. 300.) Xantus Humming-bird. Adult <J : 

 Above, and the throat, metallic grass-green ; below, cinnamon-rufous ; face blue-black ; a 

 white stripe through the eye ; wings purplish-dusky ; tail purplish-chestnut, the central feathers 

 glossed with golden-green ; bill fle.sh-colored, black -tipped. 9 : Shining green above, including 

 central tail-feathers ; below, and the face, pale rufous, whitening about the vent, and the sides 

 greenish ; head-stripe rufous, whitening on the auriculars ; tail-feathers, except the central, 



7< 



