462 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Selasphorus platycercus, Gould. 



BROAD-TAILED HUMMING-BIRD. 



Trochilus platycercus, Sw. Philos. ]\Iag. I, 1827, 441 (Mexico). Selctsphorits platycercus, 

 Gould, Mon. Trochilid. or Humming-Birds, iii, May, 1852. — Baird, Birds N. Am. 

 1858, 135, pi. xliii, figs. 1 aud 2. —Cooper, Pr. Cal. Ac. 1868 (Lake Tahoe). —Is. 

 Orn. Cal. I, 1870, 357. dmismia tricolor, Lesson, Colibris, 125 (no date), pi. xiv 

 (Brazil). — IB. Trochilide. 1831, 156, pL Ix (Mexico). —Jardine, Nat. Lib. II, 77, 

 pL xiii. Ornismya montana, Lesson, Trochilid. 1831, 161, pi. Ixiii, adult, and 163 ; 

 pi. Ixiv, young (Mexico). 



Sp. Char. Outer primaries greatly attenuated at the end and turned outward. Outer 

 tail-feathers nearly linear, but widening a little from the base ; its width .20 of an inch. 



Tail slightly graduated and emar- 

 ginate. Male above and on the 

 sides metallic green ; chin and 

 throat light reddish-purple, be- 

 hind which, and along the belly 

 to the tail, is a good deal of white. 

 Wings and tail dusky purplish ; 

 the tail-feathers, excepting the 

 internal and external ones, edged 

 towards the base with light 

 cinnamon. Female without the 

 metallic gorget ; the throat-feath- 

 ers with dusky centres. The tail 

 somewhat cuneate, as in the male, 

 the feathers less pointed ; the outer three cinnamon-rufous at base (this extending some- 

 what along the outer edges), then black, and broadly tipped with white (much as in the 

 male Atthis heloisa), the inner two feathers green, the fourth with black spot at end, and 

 only edged at base with rufous. The sides and crissum also tinged with cinnamon. 

 Length, 3.50 ; wing, 1.92 ; tail, 1.40. Bill, gape, .80. 



Hab. Table-lands of Mexico and Rocky Mountains, and Middle Province of United 

 States, north to Wyoming Territory ; Uintah, Wahsatch, and East Humboldt Mountains 

 (RiDGWAv) ; Sierra Nevada (Cooper) ; Cordova (Scl. P. Z. S, 1856, 288) ; Guatemala 

 (ScL. Ibis, I, 129) ; Arizona (Coues, P. A. N. S, 1866, 57). 



A decided character of this species among its North American relatives is 

 the rufous outer border of the exterior tail-feathers. This rufous in S. rnfus 

 pervades most of tlie feathers, instead of being restricted as above. Females 

 of the two species are not dissimilar : those of S. 'platycercus are larger, less 

 rufous beneath ; the tail-feathers broader and less pointed, and with the 

 inner two (on each side) entirely green to base (the fourth edged with 

 rufous), instead of being principally rufous, except at tip. 



Specimens from Mirador, Mexico, are undistinguishable from those of 

 Eort Bridger ; those from Guatemala are smaller than the Mexican. 



Habits. Until recently this Humming-Bird has been presumed to be an 

 exclusively Mexican and Central American species. Until taken within our 

 limits, it had been supposed to be confined on the north to the iMexican plateau, 



Selasphorus platycercus. 



