THE HUMMING BIRDS. 



303 



crested. These are Aithurus, Hcliactin, aud Ghrysolanv^is, of one spe- 

 cies each ; Polemistria aud Cephallepis, of two species each ; Bellona, 



Fig. Zl . — Oreonympha nobilis. 



Fig. 38. — Oxypoijoit lindeni. 



Pig. 39. — Augastcs lumachellus. 



Fig. iO. —Vrosticte benjamini. 



with two or three; Oxypogon^ consisting of three species, and Lophornis 

 and Po2)elairia, each with several species, but only a part of them fur- 

 nished with crests. Altogether there are only about twenty of the five 

 hundred species, or a little more than 4 per cent, of the whole number, 

 that are crested, or only about one to every five species the males of 

 which possess a metallic gorget.* 



Aithurus and Hellactm possess a double crest springing from each 

 side of the hinder crown or occiput. In the two genera, however, these 

 ornaments are quite different in form, as may be seen by the accom- 

 panying cuts (Figs. 41, 42), aud still more so in their coloration, those 

 of Aithurus being deep, velvety black while those of Eeliactin are of 

 the most brilliant possible metallic gold, changing to fiery scarlet or 

 crimson towards the bases of the feathers. 



The closely related genera Ghrysolampis and Bellona have intensely 

 brilliant crests covering the whole top of the head of very sharply out- 

 lined, imbricated feathers, the more posterior of which are considera- 

 bly elongated, forming a pointed crest in the latter and a rounded one 



* Metallic throat-spots which do not cover the whole throat are not counted aa 

 gorgets in this estimate. 



