TKOCHILID.t: — THE HrMMING-lilRDS. 44.") 



of several kinds of oaks. In (Jforj^ia the color of this down is of a deep 

 nankeen hue, but in Nt*\v Ku'-land it is nearly ahvavs wliite. At first the nest 

 is made of tliis suhstauee alone, and the entire eoniplenient of e«;gs, never 

 more than two, is sometimes laid l)eiore tlie covering; of lichens is put on hy 

 the male bird, who seem^s to amuse himself with this while his mate is sit- 

 ting upon her eggs. 



Genus STELLULA, (Jould. 



atdhda^ Gould, lutrod. Trochil. 1801, 1)0. (Type, TrwhUus caUiopi, (;ori.i).) 



Gen. Char. Bill rtitluT loiiL'er than the head ; straicrht. WiiiL's hhk-Ii «l«'V('lopt'(l, reach- 

 ing' heyoncl the tail, which is short, nearly even, or slightly roinided, and with the inner- 

 most leathers uhrni>tly short ; the outer feather rather nar- 

 rower and more linear than the others, whi< h have a rather 

 spatnlate form. Metallic throat-feathers elonirated and rather 

 linear and loose, not forming a continuous metallic surface. 

 Central tail-feather without green. 



This genus, established by Gould, has a slight re- 

 semblance to Atthis, but diflers in absence of the 

 attenuated tip of outer i)riniary. The outer three tail- ^^''^" " caiuope. 



feathei's are longest and nearly even (the second rather longest), the fourth 

 and fifth e(pial and abrui)tly a little shorter, the latter without any green. 

 The feathers are rather broad and wider tenninally (the outermost least so), 

 and are obtusely rounded at end. The tail of the female is (piite similar. 

 The absence of green on the tail in the male seems a good character. lUit 

 one species is known of the genus. 



CalothoriLc is a clostdy allied genus, in which the tail is considerably 

 longer. One species, C. cyanoporjon, will probably be yet detected in Xew 

 Mexico. 



Stellula calliope, Gould. 



THE CALLIOPE HTJMMINO-BIBD. 



Trochil Hfs caUiojw, Gorrn, Pr. Z. S. 1847, 11 (Mexico). Calnfhomx calliope, Gray, Genera, 

 1, 100. — Bon. il,'v. Mag. Zool. lSr»4, 2:)7. — Gori.n, Mon. Troeh. HI, pi. cxlii. — 

 Xantus, Pr. A. N. Se. IS.'.D, 190. — Ei.LioT, Illust. lihds N. A. I, xxiii. StcUula 

 mUiiqic, Gori^D, Introd. Troeh. 1861, 90. —Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 1870, .363. 



Sp. Char. Male above, except on tail, pfold en-green, beneath white, the sides glossed 

 with green, the flanks somewhat with rusty ; erissnm pure white. Throat-feathers jiure 

 white at base, terminal half violet-red, more reddish than in Afflu's heJoiscc ; the sides of 

 neck pure white. Tail-feathers brown, edged at base, especially on inner webs, but in- 

 conspicuously, with rufous ; the ends i>aler, as if faded ; central feathers like the rest ; 

 under mandible yellow Length, 2.7.'): wing, l.GO; tail, 1.00; bill above to base of 

 feathers, .5,'). Female without the metallic gorget (replaced by a few dusky specks), and 

 the throat-feathers not elongated ; no green on sides, and more tinged with rufous beneath. 

 A white crescent under the eye. Tail more rounded and less emargiuate than in the male. 



