TEOCHILID^ — TBOCHILIN^ : H UMMING-BIRDS. 



463 



Fig. 307. — Tail 

 of S. alleni, uat. size. 



Fig. 308. —Green -backed Rufous 

 Humming-bird, (f, nat. size. (From 

 Elliot. ) 



plati/cercus the same feather is 0,25 wide, and over 1.00 long.) Rocky Mts. to the Pacific, N. 

 to Alaska ; the commonest and most extensively distributed species in the West. Noted as 

 the northernmost known species of the family. (This is S. ruftis, Gm., the true " Nootka 

 Sound Humming-bird," the ^ easily known by its cinmunon-red back, and the nick in th«- 

 next to the middle tail-feather. S. henshawi Elliot.) 



412. S. alleni. (To C. A. Allen, of California. Figs. 307, 308.) Grekn-backed RuFOUS Humming- 

 bird. Allen Humming-bird. In generalities similar to the last. (J : Two outer tail-feathers 



on each side very small and narrow, the 



outermost almost acicular ; next little 



larger; third abruptly larger; fourth from 



the outer smaller than third or middle 



pair. Upper parts golden-green, dullest 



on cro\vn. Under tail-coverts, belly and 



sides cinnamon, paler on the median 



line, white on breast next to the gorget. 



Tail-feathers cinnamon, tipped and edged 



with dusky-purplish. Goi'get fiery-red. 

 Length about 3.00; wing 1.50; tail 1.18; bill 0.64. 9 

 similar to 9 t'ufus; averaging smaller; tail-feathers nar- 

 rower, especially the outer ones. Coast region of California 

 and northward. (This is the bird of ten described as 9 

 rufus; carefully distinguished by Henshaw, Bull. Nutt. 

 Club, ii, 1877, p. 53 ; considered by Elliot to be true 

 rufus Gm.) 



413. S. platycer'cus. (Gr. TrXarvs, jj/a^MS, broad ; /tepKos, Z;er^-os, tail. Fig. 309.) Broad-tailed 

 Humming-bird. $ : No scales on top of head ; crown like back. A gorget of scales, not 

 prolonged into a rufi". Outer primary attenuate, acuminate, ending acicular, the point turned 

 outward ; next primary also narrowed, not so much so as the first, its end obliquely incised witli 

 a slight nick. Tail ample ; middle feathers scarcely or not shorter than the next, but the rest 

 rapidly graduated ; middle and several lateral ones broad, briefly acuminate, the outermost nar- 

 rowed linearly with rounded end. Above, 



including crown, golden-green; the two 

 middle tail-feathers purer shining grass- 

 green; lateral tail-feathers puqilish- 

 dusky, some of them with narrow longi- 

 tudinal chestnut edging only on one or 

 the other web (a strong character of the 

 species : compare extensively rufous tail- 

 feathers of the two foregoing species). 

 Gorget glancing lilac-red : other under 

 parts whitish, glossed with golden-green 

 on the sides and sometimes elsewhere. 

 QuiUs purplish-dusky. Length nearly 

 or quite 4.00; extent 4.75-5.00; wing 

 9 : Outer primary narrow and falcate, but without 

 special attenuation at end. Outermost tail-feather narrower than the rest, as in the $, but the 

 others rounded at ends, not acuminate. Lateral tail-feathers chestnut at base quite across, then 

 black for a space, then white-tipped. Above, like $ ; below, no gorget, the throat white with 

 dark specks ; no green on sides, which are more or less rufous, as in S. rufus 9 > from which 

 some care must be taken in discrimination. It is usually less rufous below; middle tail-feathers 



Fig 

 (From Elliot. ) 



Broad-tailed Humming-bird, ^f, ?, nat. size, 

 rly or quite 2.00 ; tail 1.35 ; bill 0.70. 



