TROCIIILUS. 



105 



Hah. Costa llica, Nicaragua. 



Male. Top of head white, throat dull green. General plumage sliining reddish- 

 purple. Median rectrices light bronze; lateral ones white at base, rest brownish- 

 black, edged with white. Bill black. Wings purple. Total length, 21 in. AYnig, 

 1| in. Tail, | in. Culmen, \ in. 



Female. Like that of M. alhocoronafa. Above bronzy-green, beneath white. 

 Middle rectrices bronze-green, rest white with a subtermiual black bar. Bill black. 



Genus LII.— TllOCHlLUS. 



Tro chillis, Lixn., Syst. Nat. (17GG), vol. i, p. 189. 

 Cynanthus , Boie, Isis (1831) (nee Swaixs., 1837), p. 047. 

 Colubris, Reich., Syst. Av. Xat., pi. 40 (1849). 

 Archilochus , Eeicii., Troeh. Euura., p. 10 (IS.').")). 

 Ornismya, McLs. and Verr,, Class. Troch. (iHGo). p. 91. 



Ch. Bill straight, slender, long as the head. Wings 

 short. Tail forked, rectrices pointed. Nostrils hidden 

 by frontal feathers. Sexes nnlike in plumage. 



Range. North America from the Saskatchewan River, 

 to Veragua in Central America, islands of Cuba, Ber- 

 muda, and the Bahamas. 



This genus, as established by Linna>us, was a compo- 

 site one, comprising species of various forms, all of which 

 have been included in distinct genera, with the exception 

 of T. colubris, which remains as the type. The species 

 are small in size, with luminous throats, but otherwise 

 the plumage is not brilliant. 



Only two species are retained in the genus. 



Type. 

 T. colubris, Linn. 

 T. colabrifs, Linn. 

 T. colubris, Linn. 

 T. alexandri, Bourc. 

 T. alexandri, Bourc. 



Fis. 52. 



Troehilus colvhria, $ . AVaiihingtoa, D.C. 

 J.X. Townsend. 



Key to the aperies. 



A. Throat metallic niliy-rcd. 



B. Throat black, bouuded beneath by a baud of mctallic-purj)k'. 



1. T. colubris. 



2. T. alexandri. 



1. Trochilus colubris. 



Trochilus colubris, Linn., Syst. Nat., torn, i, p. 191 (176G). — Wils., Am. Orn., vol. ii, p. 26, pi. 10, ficrs. 3, 4. — 

 Vieill., Encj'. M6th. Oin., vol. ii, p. J)G9. — Aud., B. Aiiicr., vol. i, pi. 47. — Swain., Faun. Bor. Anier., 

 vol. ii, p. 323 (1832).— Gould, Mon. Troeh., vol. iii, pi. 131.— Id., Intr. Tmch., octavo ed., p. 86.— Bon., 

 Consp. Gen. Av., p. 81.— Id., Kev. and Mag.Zool. (1854). p. 252.— Reich., Aufz. dor Colib., p. 12.— Id., 

 Troeh. Enum., p. 10.— C.\b. aud Hei.n., Mus. Hein. Th., iii, p. 57 (18C0).— Elliot, Ibis (1872), p. 354. 



MdUsuga colubris, Steph., Shaw. Gen. Zool., vol. .\iv, p. 247. 



Mellisuga colubris. Gray, Gen. Birds, vol. i, p. 113. 



Ornismya colubris. Less., Ois. Mouch., pp. xvi, l^l, pi. 48 (1829). — Id., Trochil., p. 1, pi. (1831).— McL.s., Ilist. 

 Nat. Ois. Mouch., torn, iv, p. ,52 (1877). 



Cynanthus colubris, Jard., Nat. Libr. Huniming-Birds, vol. ii, p. 143. 



Rah. Eastern North America, INfexico, Central America to Yeragua ; Cuba, 

 Bahamas, and Bermudas of the West Indies. 



14 Septemb2r, 1878. 



