550 



S YS TEMA TIC S YNOPSIS. —PICAUIyE—TRO CHILI. 



pt. xxiii, Sept. 1861, pi. 139. A specimea was taken at San Francisco, Cal., in May, 1885; 

 see W. E. Bryant, Forest and Stream, xxvi. No. 22, 1886, p. 426 ; Coues, Key, 4th 

 ed. 1890, p. 903; A. 0. U. List, 2d ed. 1895, No. [431. 1.]. The bird was needlessly renamed 

 Trochilus rubromitratus and Selasphorus mhromitratus ; see Ridgw. Auk, Jan. 1891, p. 114. 

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

 mingbird. $ : No metallic scales on crown. Gorget glancing coppery-red, somewhat pro- 

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

 a point. Next pair broad, nicked or emarginate near end (fig. 365). Next three pairs succes- 

 sively narrowing gradually, but not even the outer becoming acicular. Two outer primaries 

 narrow, falcate, gradually very acute, the ends bowed inward. General 

 color above and below cinnamon-red, becoming more or less green on 

 crown, sometimes flaked with green on back, fading to white on belly. 

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

 dusky-purplish. Length about 3.50 ; wing 1.50-1.67, averaging 1.60; 

 tail ].30; bill 0.65. 9 showing same characters of tail and wing, but 

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

 gorget, replaced usually by a few metallic feathers ; under parts exten- 

 sively white, but shaded with cinnamon on sides and crissum. Middle 

 tail-feathers glossed with greenish, darkening to black at end, and usu- 

 ally touched with cinnamon at base ; other tail-feathers extensively 

 rufous, then black, finally white-tipped. Length 3.50; wing 1.70; tail 1.20. On comparing 

 9 rufus with 9 platycercus, a great difi'erence in size of outer tail-feather is observable ; in 

 rufus it is only 0.12 broad, and under 1.00 long ; in platycercus it is 0.25 wide, and over 1.00 

 long. Rocky Mts. to the Pacific, N. to Mt. St. Elias, Alaska ; E. to portions of Texas, Mon- 

 tana, etc.; S. in winter on the table lands of Mexico; the commonest and most extensively 

 distributed species in the West; noted as the northernmost species of the family. (This is 

 T. rufus Gm., the true " Nootka Sound Hummingbird ;" <J easily known by its cinnamon- 

 red back, and nick in next to middle tail-feather. S. henshawi Elliot.) 

 S. al'leni. (To C. A. Allen, of California. Figs. 366, 367.) Green-backed Rufous 



Fig. 3G5. — Tail of .S". 

 rii/tis, nat. size. 



Hummingbird. 



cJ: Two 



Allen Hummingbird. In generalities similar to the last 

 outer tail-feathers on each side very small 

 and narrow, the outermost almost acicu- 

 lar ; next little larger ; 3d abruptly 

 larger ; 4th from the outer smaller than 

 3d or middle pair. Upper parts golden - 

 green, dullest on crown. Under tail- 

 coverts, belly, and sides cinnamon, paler 

 on median line, white on breast next to 

 the gorget. Tail-feathers cinnamon, 

 tipped and edged with dusky-purplish. 

 Length about 3.25 ; wing 1.50 ; tail 1.18; 

 bill 0.64. 9 similar to 9 rtifus ; averaging smaller ; tail- 

 feathers narrower, especially the outer ones. Coast region 

 of California and northward to British Columbia; E. into 

 Arizona. (This is the bird often described as 9 rufus ; care- 

 fully distinguished by Henshaw, Bull. Nutt. Club, ii, 1877, 

 p. 53; considered by Elliot to be true rufus Gm.) 

 S. platycer'cus. (Gr. nXarvs, platus, broad ; KtpKos, Jcerkos, tail. Fig. 368.) Broad- 

 TAiLED Hummingbird. ^ : No scales on top of head ; crown like back. A gorget of scales^ 

 not prolonged into a ruft". Outer primary attenuate, acuminate, ending acicular, the point 



Fig 3G6. — Tail of 

 S. alleni, nat. size. 



Gorget fiery-red. 



Fio. 367. — Green-backed 

 Hummingbird, (f, nat. size. 

 ElUot.) 



Rufous 

 (From 



