412. 
413. 
TROCHILIDA! — TROCHILINA): HUMMING-BIRDS. 465 
platycercus the same feather is 0.25 wide, and over 1.00 long.) Rocky Mts. to the Pacific, N. 
to Alaska; the commonest and most extensively distributed species in the West. Noted as 
the northernmost known species of the family. (This is S. rufus, Gm., the true ‘ Nootka 
Sound Humming-bird,” the @ easily known by its cinnamon-red back, and the nick in the 
next to the middle tail-feather. S. henshawi Elliot.) 
S. al/leni. (ToC. A. Allen, of California. Figs. 307, 808.) GREEN-BACKED Rurous HUMMING- 
BIRD. ALLEN HuMMING-BIRD. In generalities similar to the last. ¢: Two outer tail-feathers 
on each side very small and narrow, the 
outermost almost acicular; next little 
larger; third abruptly larger; fourth from 
the outer smaller than third or middle 
pair. Upper parts golden-green, dullest 
on crown. Under tail-coverts, belly and 
sides cinnamon, paler on the median 
line, white on breast next to the gorget. 
Fic. 307.—Tail ‘Tr ail-feathers cinnamon, tipped and edged 
of S. alleni, nat. size. with dusky-purplish. Gorget fiery-red. 
Length about 3.00; wing 1.50; tail 1.18; bill 0.64. 9 
similar to 9 rufus; averaging smaller; tail-feathers nar- 
rower, especially the outer ones. Coast region of California < 
and northward. (This is the bird of ten described as ? SQ 
rufus ; carefully" distinguished by Henshaw, Bull. Nutt. Fic. 308 —Green-backed Rufous 
Club, ii, 1877, p. 53; considered by Elliot to be true muon it f g, nat. size. (From 
rufus (G1n.) 
S. platycer/eus. (Gr. mAaris, platus, broad; xépxos, kerkos, tail. Fig. 309.) BRoaD-TAILED 
HumMinG-Birp. @: Noscales on top of head; crown like back. A gorget of scales, not 
prolonged into a ruff. Outer primary attenuate, acuminate, ending acicular, the point turned 
outward ; next primary also narrowed, not so much so as the first, its end obliquely incised with 
aslight nick. Tail ample; middle feathers scarcely or not shorter than the next, but the rest 
rapidly graduated ; middle and several lateral ones broad, briefly acuminate, the outermost nar- 
rowed linearly with rounded end. Above, 
including crown, golden-green; the two 
middle tail-feathers purer shining grass- 
green; lateral tail-feathers purplish- 
dusky, some of them with narrow longi- 
tudinal chestnut edging only on one or 
the other web (a strong character of the 
species: compare extensively rufous tail- 
feathers of the two foregoing species). 
Gorget glancing lilac-red: other under 
parts whitish, glossed with golden-green 
on the sides and sometimes elsewhere. 
Fic. 309. — Broad-tailed Humming-bird, g, 9, nat. size. Quills purplish-dusky. Length nearly 
(From Elliot. ) or quite 4.00; extent 4.75-5.00; wing 
nearly or quite 2.00; tail 1.35; bill 0.70. 9: Outer primary narrow and faleate, but without 
special attenuation at end. Outermost tail-feather narrower than the rest, as in the @, but the 
others rounded at ends, not acuminate. Lateral tail-feathers chestnut at base quite across, then 
black for a space, then white-tipped. Above, like g; below, no gorget, the throat white with 
dark specks; no green on sides, which are more or less rufous, as in S. rufus Q, from which 
some care must be taken in discrimination. It is usually less rafous below; middle tail-feathers 
