TROCHILID^ — THE HUMMING-BIRDS. 



453 



Genus CALYPTE, Gould. 

 Calypte, Gould, Introd. Trochilidas, 1861, 87. (Type, Ormjsmya costce.) 



Gen. Char. Bill longer than the head, straight or slightly curved ; tail rather short. 

 Outer primary not attenuated at end. Top of head, as well 



as throat, with metallic scale-like feathers, a decided and f^^^^ ^ j, /(39400^^ 



elongated ruff on each 

 side the neck. 



Calypte costce. 



any other in North America. 



The metallic 

 feathers on top 

 of head, the at- (^"'^ypte casta:. 



tenuated outer tail-feathers (except in C. 

 helenm), and the elongated ruff, distinguish 

 the males of this genus very readily from 



Species. 



Rump and 



A. No rufous on tail-feathers ; tail forked or emarginated. 



a. Lateral tail-feather as broad as the others ; tail emarginated. 

 middle tail-feathers blue. 



C. helenae.' Very small (wing, 1.15) ; metallic hood and ruff of 



the male purplish-red. Hob. Cuba. 

 h. Lateral tail-feather abruptly narrower than the others, tail forked. Rump 

 and middle tail-feathers green. 



C. anna. Large (wing, 2.00) ; 



curve, the end inclining outward. 



purplish-red. Hob. California. 



C. costee. Small (wing, 1.75) ; outer tail-feather with a simple 



curve, the end inclining inward. Metallic hood and ruff of the male 



violet-blue. Hob. Southern California, Arizona, and Mexico. 

 B* Inner webs of tail-feathers mostly rufous, and outer webs edged with the 

 same. Tail rounded. Lateral tail-feather abruptly narrower than the others. 



C. floresi.^ Size of C. anna. Hood and ruff of the male crimson. 



Hab. Table-lands of Mexico (Bolanos). 



outer tail-feather with a double 

 Metallic hood and ruff of the male 



1 Calypte hdence, (Lemb.) Gould, Monog. Troch. Ill, pi. cxxxvi. Orthorhynchus helence, 

 Lemb. Aves de I'lsle de Cuba, p. 70, pi. x, fig. 2. 0. hoothi, Gundl. MSS. (Gould, Monog.). 



2 Calypte florcsi, (Lodd.) Trochilus floresi, Lodd. MSS. Selasplwrus floresi, Gould, Monog. 

 Troch. Ill, pi. cxxxix. There are certainly few reasons for considering this bird as a Selaspho- 

 rus, while there are many for referring it to Calypte. The only feature that it shares with the 

 former is the peculiar coloration, and to some extent the shape, of the tail. However, in Se- 

 lasphorus the outer primary is always (in the male) attenuated and acute at the tip, and the 

 crown is never metallic, while in Calypte the outer primary is never attenuated nor acute, and 

 the crown of the male is always metallic. The form and coloration of the tail are nothing more 

 than a specific character, since no two species, of either genus, agree in this respect. In view, 

 then, of these considerations, we find floresi to he strictly congeneric with the other species of 

 Calypte. 



