462 



SYSTEM A TIC SYNOPSIS. — PICARI^ — CYPSELIFORMES. 



Fig. 305. — Alexander H um- 

 ming-bird, tail of young (f and $ , 

 nat. size. (From Elliot.) 



dusky; tail double-rounded, the central feathers shorter than the next, the lateral then gradu- 

 ated; all broader than in ^ to near the end, then rapidly nan'owing with concave inner margin; 

 tail with black bars, and the lateral feathers white-tipped ; no rufous on tail in either sex. 

 Length of <J 3.25; extent 5.00; wing 1.75 ; tail 1.25 ; bill 0.66. 9 smaller: length 2.80; 

 extent 4.60. Eastern N. Am., especially U. S., abundant in summer, generally seen hovering 

 about flowers, sometimes in flocks. Feeds on insects, and the sweets of flowers. Nest a beau- 

 tiful structure, of downy substances, stuccoed with lichens outside; eggs two, white, 0.50 

 X 0.35. 



410. T. alexan'dri. (To Alexander. Fig. 305.) Alexander Humming-bird. Size and general 

 appearance of T. colubris. $ : Tail double-rounded, i. e., centrally emarginate, laterally 



rounded : central emargination about 0.10, lateral graduation 

 more ; the feathers all acuminate, and whole-colored. Upper 

 parts, including two middle tail-feathers, as in T. colubris. 

 Gorget opaque velvety black, only posteriorly glittering with 

 violet, sapphire and emerald. Other under parts whitish, green 

 on sides. Length 3.25 ; wing 1.75 ; tail 1.25 ; bill from frontal 

 feathers 0.75. ^ : Tail diflFerent from that of ,J, both in shape 

 and color; simply slightly rounded (without appreciable central 

 emargination), the lateral feathers scarcely acuminate; middle 

 feathers like the back, darkening at ends; others with broad purplish-black space near end, 

 and white-tipped; thus so closely resembling colubris 9 that the lack of decided emargina- 

 tion of the tail is the principal character. No gorget, the throat whitish with dusky specks. 

 California, Utah, Arizona, and probably other portions of SW. U. S. 

 137. SELAS'PHOKUS. (Gr. creXaj, light ; ^opo'y, bearing.) Lightning Hummers. Bill slender 

 and subulate ; frontal feathers covering nasal scale. Tail in ^ 9 graduated or rounded, not 

 forked, and extensively rufous or tipped with white. The central much broader than the lateral 

 feathers. Details of shapes of the feathers varying with the species, and with the sexes (see 

 descriptions, and figs. 306, 307). Outer primary, or two outer ones, tif $ abruptly attenuate, 

 the end bowed ; inner six primaries not abruptly narrower than those further outward. 

 Tarsi naked. Bill black. A metallic gorget in $, little or not produced into a ruff; no 

 scales on ci'own. 9 lacking the gorget, and tail white-tipped. 



411. S. ru'fus. (Lat. rufus, reddish.) Red-backed Rufous Humming-bird. Nootka Hum- 

 ming-bird. (J : No metallic scales on crown. Gorget glancing coppery-red, somewhat pro- 

 longed into a ruff. TaU cuneate ; middle pair of feathers broad, narrowing rather suddenly to 

 a point. Next pair broad, nicked or emarginate near end (fig. 306). 

 Next three pairs successively narrowing gradually, but not even the outer 

 becoming acicular. Two outer primaries narrow, falcate, gradually very 

 acute, the ends bowqd inward. General color above and below cinnamon- 

 red, becoming more or less green on the crown, and sometimes flaked 

 with green on the back, fading to white on the belly. Tail-feathers 

 cinnamon-red, deepening to dusky-purplish at ends. Quills dusky- 

 puqjlish. Length about 3.50; wing 1.50-1.67, averaging 1.60; taU 

 1.30; biU 0.65. 9 showing the characters of the tail and wing, but less 

 plainly. Coloration extensively rufous, but overlaid with green; no 

 gorget, replaced by a few dusky-greenish feathers ; under parts exten- 

 sively white, but shaded with cinnamon on the sides and crissum. Middle tail-feathers glossed 

 with greenish, darkening to black at end, and usually touched with cinnamon at base; other 

 tail-feathers extensively rufous, then black, finally white-tipped. Length 3.20; wing 1.70; 

 tail 1.20. (On comparing 9 rufus vpith 9 platycercus, a great difference in the size of the 

 outer feather is observable; in rufus this feather is only 0.12 broad, and under 1.00 long; in 



Fig. 306. Tail of S. 

 rufus, nat. size. 



