TROCHILID^ — THE HUMMING-BIRDS. 445 



of several kinds of oaks. In Georgia tlie color of this down is of a deep 

 nankeen hue, but in New England it is nearly always white. At first the nest 

 is made of this substance alone, and the entire complement of eggs, never 

 more than two, is sometimes laid before tlie covering of lichens is put on by 

 the male bird, who seems to amuse himself with this while his mate is sit- 

 ting upon her eggs. 



Genus STELLULA, Gould. 



Stellula, Gould, Introd. Trochil. 1861, 90. (Type, Trochilus calliope, Gould.) 



Gen. Char. Bill rather longer than the head ; straight. Wings much developed, reach- 

 ing beyond the tail, which is short, nearly even, or slightly rounded, and with the inner- 

 most feathers abruptly short ; the outer feather rather nar- 

 rower and more linear than the others, which have a rather 

 spatulate form. Metallic throat-feathers elongated and rather 

 linear and loose, not forming a continuous metallic surface. 

 Central tail-feather without green. 



This genus, established by Gould, has a slight re- 

 semblance to Atthis, but differs in absence of the 

 attenuated tip of outer primary. The outer three tail- steiiuia caiiiope. 



feathers are longest and nearly even (the second rather longest), the fourth 

 and fifth equal and abruptly a little shorter, the latter without any green. 

 The feathers are rather broad and wider terminally (the outermost least so), 

 and are obtusely rounded at end. The tail of the female is quite similar. 

 The absence of green on the tail in the male seems a good character. But 

 one species is known of the genus. 



Calothorax is a closely allied genus, in which the tail is considerably 

 longer. One species, C. cya7iopogo'n, will probably be yet detected in New 

 Mexico. 



Stellula calliope, Gould. 



THE CALLIOPE HUMMING-BIRD. 



Trochilus calliope, Gould, Pr. Z. S. 1847, 11 (Mexico). Calothorax calliope. Gray, Genera, 

 I, 100. —BoN. Rev. Mag. Zool. 1854, 257. —Gould, Mon. Trocli. Ill, pi. c.xlii. — 

 Xantus, Pr. A. jST. Sc. 1859, 190. —Elliot, lUust. Birds N. A. I, xxiii. Stellula 

 calliope, Gould, Introd. Troch. 1861, 90. — Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 1870, 363. 



Sp. Char. Male above, except on tail, golden-green, beneath white, the sides glossed 

 with green, the flanks somewhat with rusty ; crissum pure white. Throat-feathers pure 

 white at base, terminal half violet-red, more reddish than in Atthis heloisce ; the sides of 

 neck pure white. Tail-feathers brown, edged at base, especially on inner webs, but in- 

 conspicuously, with rufous ; the ends paler, as if faded ; central feathers like the rest ; 

 under mandible yellow. Length, 2.75; wing, 1.60; tail, 1.00; bill above to base of 

 feathers, .55. Female without the metallic gorget (replaced by a few dusky specks), and 

 the throat-feathers not elongated ; no green on sides, and more tinged with rufous beneath. 

 A white crescent under the eye. Tail more rounded and less emarginate than in the male. 



