GENERA AND SPECIES. 181 



ish black; tail slightly forked, the feathers being 

 broad and pointed, their colour is bluish black, 

 the shorter central ones having a green reflexion; 

 feet black. 



The birds of this genus are mostly natives of 

 Brazil ; one, however, Tr. Cyanifrom, is a native 

 of the elevated region of Peru ; another, Tr. 

 Watertoni, of the banks of the Essequibo ; and 

 a third, Tr. Viridepectus of the Columbian Andes. 



When such differences of geographic locality 

 are presented to us, necessarily involving as 

 manifold a difference in the character and fea- 

 tures of each respective region, from the alluvial 

 banks of the Essequibo, or the forest-belted Bio 

 Negro, to the Columbian Andes, we cannot but 

 suppose that, in the birds of this group, a pa- 

 rallel diversity of habit must exist. Unfortu- 

 nately the economy of each species has not been 

 diligently studied ; no accounts founded on per- 

 sonal observation afford us that kind of know- 

 ledge which is so universally interesting. Hence 

 it is that every scrap of information relative to 

 the habits of the Trochilida3, apart from the birds 

 of the present genus, is received with gratitude. 

 Here a field of not unprofitable labour is open 

 to the ardent ornithologist whom circumstances 

 may permit to devote himself to the task. 



Grenus SAUCEROTTIA, Bonaparte, (Polytmus, 

 in part, Gray). 



This genus is established by the Prince of 



