146 SUPERCILIOUS HUMMING-BIRD. 



and bent, considerably dilated at tbe base, and, as in 

 all the genus, has the undei mandible entering when 

 closed within the upper one ; the base of a bright 

 orange. The upper plumage of the bird is of a brown 

 bronzed green ; two reddish white lines mark the 

 cheeks ; the one more in the shape of a spot above the 

 eye, the other in a line from the corner of the mouth, 

 below the auriculars ; all the lower parts are of a 

 brownish white. The tail without the long feathers is 

 wedge- shaped, each feather widening towards the tip, 

 and then ending in a triangular sharp point ; the long 

 feathers keep the breadth of the others for the same 

 length, when they suddenly become narrow, and 

 form the distinguishing marks of the male. The co- 

 lour of the tail is bronzed green, shaded nearly to a 

 rich black at the ends, which terminate in a narrow 

 border of white ; the projecting ends of the long fea- 

 thers are also white. 



The female is more brilliant in colour than the 

 male, the upper parts of the same tint are very bril- 

 liant ; the white line from the rictus is well marked, 

 but that above the eye does not appear ; the lower 

 parts are of a deeper shade of brown ; the tail is very 

 amply rounded ; the centre feathers longest, but not 

 projecting, of a bright green, with white tips : the 

 others bright chestnut-red, shading to black, and fur- 

 nished with a tip of white. 



This species is found both in Guiana and Brazil 



