THE BLUE-TAILED SYLPH. 



251 



The. plumage of this species is extremely varialjle, but may be described briefly as 

 follows. The forehead, the crown, and the nape of the neck are metallic ruby red, and 

 the chin, throat, aud chest are effulgent topaz. The upper parts of the body are 

 velvety bronze-brown, and the wings are purple-brown. The tail is rich chestnut red, 

 tipped with black, and tlie abdomen is a dark olive-browu. The female has none of the 

 ruby patches on the head, but retains a little of tlie topaz on the throat. 



Occupying the centre of the illustration 

 on page 223, may be seen a very striking and 

 remarkable bird, whose long forked tail ex- 

 tends completely across the engraving. This 

 is the Blue-tailed Sylph {CynantJms cy- 

 anuriis), one of the most beautiful of the 

 birds which are called by the name of Sylphs, 

 in allusion to their beautiful form and grace- 

 ful movements. 



This beautiful bird is found in the tem- 

 perate regions of the Andes, its range ex- 

 tending as far as Panama. It also inhabits 

 the sides of the Cordilleras, at an elevation 

 of five or ten thousand feet above the level 

 of the sea, as the vegetation of those regions 

 is most luxuriant in spite of the coldness of 

 the climate, and affords plentiful nourish- 

 ment for the Humming-birds. The flower 

 on which it usually feeds is the Sedum 

 Quitense, and its flight is extremely rapid as 

 it darts from one flower to another. 



In the male Ijird the crown of the head is 

 of a metallic golden green, and the general 



colour of the body is a bronze-green, becoming 



browner on the under parts. Upon the 



throat is a gorget of the most intense pui"ple- 



blue, and the wings are jjurple-brown. The 



two central feathers of the magnificent tail 



are shining metallic green, the two next are 



black at their base and rich blue towards 



their extremities, and tipped and edged with 



bright metallic green, "shot" with blue. The 



outer feathers are black for the first half of 



their length, and the remaining portion is 



metallic steely blue. Some white feathers 



are scattered across the end of the abdomen, 



the under tail-coverts are green, and there is 



a little white dab above the eye and another 



behind it. 



The female is something like the male, but not so bright in colouring. The throat 



is gTcyish-white covered with green spots, and the abdomen is rusty red, changing into 



bronze-green upon the flanks. The young male is duller in colour than the adult, the 



tail is shorter, and there is no blue part upon the throat. Like many other of the Hum- 

 ming-birds, this species is extremely variable in its colouring, especially among the young 



males. The length of this species is about seven inches. It is uot, however, so remarkable 



for the length of its tail as the Trainbeaeee (Lesbia AmaryUis), a native of Quito. 



This bird, although a smaU creature, possesses a long and very straight tail, something 



like that of the Polytmus or the Sappho, but much larger in proportion, the length of the 



elongated feathers being nearly six inches. 



BUBY AND TOPAZ HUMMING-BIRD. 



ChrysoUimpis moschitus. 



