96 LANGSDORFF'S HUMMING-BIRD. 



Beneath this is a crescent-formed band of bright 

 orange, in some lights approaching to crimson, and 

 which has much the appearance of a similarly co- 

 loured band frequent in the African Cyniridae. 

 This is relieved by the deep brownish violet of the 

 belly, which again contrasts with the pure white of 

 the vent and under tail-coverts, and completes a 

 series of five distinct colours on the under surface of 

 this beautiful little bird. The white of the vent is 

 continued over the rump in a very narrow band, and 

 there contrasts beautifully with the deep green. 



The tail, we have said, is deeply forked; it con- 

 sists of ten feathers. The six in the centre are 

 deep blue, the two on each side, which run to the 

 fine points, are nearly white. 



In the young the tail does not assume a forked or 

 lengthened appearance ; but, like the birds which have 

 been figured in the preceding plates, it is of a round- 

 ed form. The throat is nearly black, but the space 

 occupied by the brilliant green patch is defined by 

 a plumage of a greenish white, and little trace of 

 the lower orange band is seen. The upper parts are 

 of a duller green, and the tail is deep bluish black, 

 having the tips of the outer feathers white. 



Langsdorffs Humming-Bird is a native of Brazil ; 

 the female has not yet been described, and I be- 

 lieve specimens are yet unknown in Europe. 



