98 



SYNOPSIS OF THE HUMMING-BIRDS. 



Bill black. Total length, 7f in. 



"Wing, 2f in. 



Tail, external feather, 5 in. Cul- 



men, | in. Outer tail-feather at the widest part ^g in. 



Another specimen not quite so mature, has the chin white, caused by the base 

 of the feathers shoAving conspicuously, and those of the upper part of the breast 

 are just turning into the luminous green of the throat. The tail is shorter, and the 

 rectrices are narrower than those of the example described above, having a total 

 length of 4:-f\ in., and a width at the broadest part of the external feather of ^^g in. 

 In other respects the dimensions are the same. 



Female. Unknown. 



Genus XLIX.— THALURANIA. 



MelUsuga, Boie (1831), Lsis, p. 545 (nee Briss., 1760). 



Th aluran la, Gould, P. Z. S. (18481, p. 13. 



Olaucoiris, BuRM. (nee Hubn., 1816), Th. Bras. (1856), p. 333, 2(1 pt. 



Type. 

 T.fiircatus, Gmel. 

 T. rtigro-fasciata, Gould. 

 T. glaucopis, Gmel. 



FiK. 49. 



Ch. Bill longer than the head, curved. Wings 

 short ; tail large, more or less forked. Tarsi clothed 

 with feathers. Sexes dissimilar. 



Range, Tres Marias Islands, Costa Rica, Veragua, 

 to and including Ecuador on the west coast ; the islands 

 of Dominica and Trinidad ; also Guiana, Venezuela, 

 and northern Brazil on the east. 



Eleven species are here recognized as belonging to 

 this genus. They are a strongly marked group, moderate 

 in size, and graceful in form, with a plumage of green, 



or green and blue in the males, with metallic hues on the crown or throat, some- 

 times on both. Females have a plain plumage. 



Thulurania glaucopis. S . JJrazil. Gould. 



Key to the species. 



A. Top of the head pnrpli.sh-blue. 



a. Entire under part.s green. 

 h. Abdomen prussian-blue. 



B. Top of the head dull green. 



a. Under parts rich purple. Tail much forked. 



b. Under parts purplish-blue. Tail slightly forked. 



c. Under parts prussian-blue. 



d. Diminutive of species c. 



e. Back blue. Tail very long, deeply forked. 



C. Top of the head and back jet-black. 



Size large. Tail deeply forked ; under parts prussian-blne. 



D. Top of the head brilliant metallic-green. 



Back green, under parts prussian-blue. 

 Under parts green. 



E. Head and neek deep rich cobalt-blue. 



Body brilliant metallic-green. Tail forked. 



1. T. glaucopis. 



2. T. columbica. 



3. T. furcata. 



4. T. furcatoides. 



5. T. nigrofasciala. 



6. T.jclsL-i. 



1. T. watertoni. 



8. T. rrfulgens. 



9. T. eriphile. 



10. T hypochlora. 



11. T. Incolor. 



