GEKERA AND SPECIES. 163 



bill is rather short, a little depressed at the base 

 and straight ; the nostrils basal ; the wings long 

 and powerful; the primaries, particularly the 

 outer one, sickle- shaped ; the tail moderately 

 large, and slightly forked when closed ; the feet 

 strong and powerful, and the tarsi partially 

 clothed with feathers. 



These birds are evidently formed both for 

 rapid (and perhaps a Swift-like) flight, and for 

 tenacity of prehension in the foot. They do not 

 rank amongst the most gorgeous of their tribe. 



M. Bourcier describes a species, termed Aglce- 

 actis Castelnaudi, from Columbia ; but we are not 

 ourselves acquainted with it. (B,ev. Zool. 1848.) 



Genus PLOBISUGA, Bonaparte. The type of 

 this genus is the Trochilus mellivorus of Linnaeus 

 Mellisuga Surnamensis of Stephens a native 

 of Cayenne, Surinam, and the Antilles. It is 

 well described and figured in the Naturalist's 

 Library, Ornith. vol. ,i. p. 139, pi. 30, under the 

 title of the "White-collared Humming-bird. In 

 this genus the beak is arched ; the wings mo- 

 derate ; the tail rather short, and composed of 

 broad feathers, divided, as it were, into two op- 

 posite sets, forming a rounded fork when closed. 



Two other species of this genus are known, 

 viz. Trochilus ater, Wied, from Brazil ; and Tro- 

 chilus flabelliferus, Gould, from Tobago. The 

 three specimens are in Gould's cabinet. 



Trochilus flabelliferus. A most lovely species. 

 In the male, the whole of the head and throat is 



