Pikbs OF LA PLATA 
GLITTERING HUMMING-BIRD 
Chlorostilbon splendidus 
Head, upper parts, and wing-coverts golden bronze, inclining to 
green on upper tail-coverts; wings purplish brown ; tail black 
glossed with green; throat and breast glittering emerald-green ; beak 
bright red; length 3.5 inches. Female bronze-green above and grey 
beneath. 
r AHE T rochilidze, or Humming-birds, a distinctly 
South American form, are one of the most 
numerous families of birds on the globe, 
numbering over 400 known species, and ranging over 
the entire continent down to Tierra del Fuego. How 
surprising then to find that of this multitude of species 
no more than about a dozen are found in the entire 
Argentine country! It only adds to the surprise when 
it is found that humming-birds of these few species 
are common enough throughout the country. Even 
on the almost treeless grassy pampas of Buenos Ayres 
which are unsuited to the habits of this feathered 
forest sprite, one species at all events is found every- 
where. Personally I was acquainted with only 
three species, and I recall that when living on the 
open pampas, every season when the white acacia 
at my home was in flower we had an invasion of 
Humming-birds. The plantation was divided by 
A II 
