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TRI-COLOURED HUMMING-BIRD. 



Trochilus tricolor LESSON. 

 PLATE XIII. 



Le Tricolore, Ornismya tricolor, Lesson, Histoire Naturelle 

 des Qiseaux-moucheS) pi. xiv., and Trochilidees, pi. Ix. 



THIS species, also of great beauty, seems to be 

 first described and figured by Lesson. It is about 

 three inches in length. It appears to belong to that 

 group where the throat is covered with feathers of a 

 large size, and which can be expanded at the will of 

 the bird. The bill is very slender, and is slightly 

 curved. All the upper parts are of a brilliant golden 

 green, tinged with brown on the forehead ; the 

 breast, belly, and under tail-coverts white, shading 

 into green upon the flanks, and the throat and 

 fore part of the neck is covered with rather large 

 rounded scaly feathers of a brilliant carmine red, 

 beautifully relieved by the white of the breast, and 

 when expanded forming a ruff or collar. The tail is 

 nearly equal at the end, but the feathers become 

 narrow towards the tips, almost acuminated, which 

 serves to distinguish it from those other species 

 which have the throats adorned with an amethyst 

 coloured patch. The centre feathers are tinged with 



