110 Descri'ptions of* Three New Species of Hwnming-hirds. 



Remarlis. — ^This specimen belongs to the Museum of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, and was sent bj Mr. John Xantus, 

 whose investigations in the Ornithology of Western North 

 America have been the means of adding many new birds to 

 science. In compliment to him I have named it. 



I do not feel assured that it is right to place it in Amazilia, 

 but in coloring it seems to be more like the members of this 

 genus than those of any other, but differs from them all in 

 having a superciliary stripe. It came labelled as a female, 

 from which the plumage of the male may vary, but if arranged 

 in its true position generically, it should not differ much, as Mr. 

 Gould, i^ the species figured by him, makes but littl6 difference 

 in the sexes. 



Mellisiiga Merrittii. 



Crown metallic bluish-green, changing to violet in some posi- 

 tions ; back and upper wing-coverts grass-green, changing to 

 lustrous golden-green ; upper tail-coverts shining grass-green, 

 tail dark shining green, bronzed near the end of the central 

 tail-feathers : all the other feathers crossed with a subterminal 

 band of dark steel-blue, ending broadly with greyish-white ; 

 wings dark purple ; under-plumage cinereous-grey, with awash 

 of very pale buff; the sides of the neck and also of the body 

 intermixed with golden-green ; under tail-coverts grey ; a line 

 under the e3'e, and the ear-coverts dusky; bill apparently yel- 

 low ; tarsi clothed with greyish- white feathers ; feet black. 



Length 2|- inches ; wing \\\ ; tail 1 ; bill rV- 



Habitat. — Yeraguas, New Grenada. Discovered by Dr. J. 

 K. Merritt, whose name I have conferred upon it. 



Itemarks. — I have placed it in Mellisuga as it comes nearer 

 to M. tniniTRa^ found in Jamaica (the sole representative of 

 that genus), than any other bird I am acquainted with ; the tail 

 feathers are, however, much broader and differently colored, but 



