346 THE KUBY AND TOPAZ HUMMING-BIRD. 



The male of this species is bronze-green upon the greater part of the 

 body, the green taking a richer and redder hue upon the upper tail- 

 coverts. The throat and breast are brilliant emerald green. The wings 

 are purple-brown, and the tail is brown, with the exception of the rack- 

 ets, which are black "shot" with green. The feet are yellow, and upon 

 the legs are placed two beautiful white puffs. The whole length of the 

 bird is rather more than three inches. The female bird does not possess 

 the racket-shaped tail-feathers, and is of a bronze-green upon the upper 

 surface. The tail is brown, with the exception of the two middle 

 feathers, which are bronze-green like the body. The two exterior 

 feathers are tipped with white, and the others with bronze-green. The 

 under surface is white, diversified with bronze-green spots on the breast 

 and flanks. The puffs are smaller than in the male. 



The Spangled Coquette is an excellent example of the very re- 

 markable genus to which it belongs. All the Coquettes possess a well- 

 defined crest upon the head and a series of projecting feathers from the 

 neck, some being especially notable for the one ornament, and others 

 for the other. 



The crown of the head and the crest are light ruddy chestnut, each 

 feather having a ball-like spot of dark bronze-green at the tip. The 

 throat and face are shining metallic green, below which is a small tuft 

 of pointed white feathers that have a very curious effect as they pro- 

 trude from beneath the gorget. The upper parts are bronze-green as 

 far as the lower part of the back, where a band crosses from side to 

 side, and the rest of the plumage is dark ruddy chestnut as far as the 

 tail. The tail is also chestnut-brown with a slight wash of metallic 

 green. The female has no crest or green gorget. 



The Ruby and Topaz Humming-bird derives its name from the 

 coloring of its head and throat, the former being of a deep ruby tint, 

 and the latter of a resplendent topaz. Sometimes it is called the Ruby- 

 headed Humming-bird, and it is also known under the name of the 

 Aurora. It is very common in Bahia, the Guianas, Trinidad, and the 

 Caracas, and, as it is in great request for the dealers, is killed by 

 thousands annually. There is no species so common in ornamental 

 cases of Humming-birds as the Ruby and Topaz. It makes a very 

 beautiful nest, round, cup-like, and delicately woven of cotton and 

 various fibres, and covered externally with little leaves and bits of 

 lichen. 



The plumage of this species is extremely variable, 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, and chest are 

 effulgent topaz. The upper parts of the body are velvetv bronze-brown, 

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

 with black, and the abdomen is a dark olive-brown. The female has 



