34 



PICARIAN BIRDS. 



back; the tufts at the side of the head being metallic purple, shading off into 

 golden and then to metallic green; while the sides of the head and throat are 

 black, the under surface of the body pure white, the flanks green, and all but the 

 centre feathers white, with their outer webs greyish. The total length is only 

 4 inches. The female is duller in colour than the male, and has a green crown, 

 while the sides of the face are dusky, the throat pale buff, and the tail-feathers 



■^'•^ ..... 



TUFTED COQUETTE (| nat. aize). 



S>^"^K 



The Coquettes. 



white with a subterminal band of black. The home of this species is in Brazil, 

 where the bird is said to be not uncommon in some portions of the interior, 

 although little is known of its habits. 



This is a very easily recognised group of humming-birds by 

 reason of the crested head, and the little spangled frills which are 

 very conspicuous on each side of the neck. Twelve species are known, and the 

 range of the genus extends from Southern Mexico, throughout the greater part of 

 South America to Bolivia and Southern Brazil, but not including Ecuador or Peru. 

 One of the most beautiful species is the tufted coquette (Lophornis ornatus), 

 which inhabits the Island of Trinidad and the opposite mainland of Venezuela, 

 whence it extends into Guiana. It measures not quite 3 inches in length, the bill 

 half an inch, and the wing 1-6. The upper surface is of a glittering golden-green, 



