BIRDS OF BRILLIANT FEATHERS. 139 



cies of hummers, most of which have been positively 

 specified.* Fifteen distinct species are common in 

 the United States. 



Humming birds, I might add, are peculiarly 

 American ; but they are mostly confined to the 

 tropical portions of the southern continent, particu- 

 larly to the United States of Colombia and Brazil. 

 Our own little rubythroat is comparatively small 

 beside the largest and most magnificent species but 

 recently discovered in Arizona, named Eugenes 

 fulgens. This gorgeous hummer is something like 

 six inches hi length ! I believe he stands number 

 four hundred and eight on the list. 



We must not be disappointed if among more than 

 half the little hummers that we see the ruby color 

 is quite wanting. The female does not wear a red 

 collar, but she has the same golden -green back and 

 purple wings, although, perhaps, these are not quite 

 as brilliant as those of her mate.f The tongue of 

 the humming bird is, I think, the most remarkable 

 part of its anatomy ; it is like a double-barreled 



* It seems strange that Wilson knew of only this one species. 

 It is astounding to learn that within the eighty odd years suc- 

 ceeding his time nearly four hundred new species have been dis- 

 covered, and over four hundred specifically labeled ! 



f There are other differences, too : the tail of the male is 

 forked, that of the female is double-scallop-shaped with black 

 bars, and lateral feathers white-tipped. 



