THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMINU-BIUD. Ill 



can sppcios belong to two different sub-families, — tlie Lampornitlnnm and the Tro- 

 chilliue, — and to at least four genera; but the precise cliaracter and limits of these I 

 am unable to give. The following remarks, however, may serve to sketch out the 

 characters of the Xorth-Amcrican species: — 



A. Edges of mandible serrated near the end; throat without metallic, scale-like 

 feathers. 



Lanipornis. — Bill depressed, slightly curved; tail broad, slightly emarginate, the 

 outer feather as broad as the rest; wings reaching the tip of tail; no metallic 

 feathers on the throat. 



B. Edges of mandible ncarh' even towards the tip, without distinct serrations | 

 throat with metallic, scale-like feathers. 



Troc/iilus. — Feathers of tiiroat but little elongated laterally; lateral tail feathers 

 but little narrower than the others, and lanceolate-acute; tail forked. 



SclaspJioftts. — Feathers of the throat much elongated laterally into a ruff; lateral 

 tail feathers much narrower than the middle ones, and linear in shape, or with the 

 sides parallel to the end, which is rounded; tail graduated or cuneate; outer primary 

 attenuated at the ^ip; crown without metallic scales. 



Atlliis. — Similar to the last, but the top of the head with metallic scales like the 

 throat; the outer primary not attenuated; tail emarginated, or deeply forked. 



TROCHTLUS, Lixn.kus. 



TROCHILUS COLUBEIS — LinnoBus. 

 The Ruby-throated Humming-bird. 



TrochUm coluhrh, Linnaeus. Syst. Xat., I. (17G6) 191. AVilson, Am. Om., II. 

 (1810) 26. Aud. Orn. Biog., I. (1832) 24S. lb., Birds Amer., IV. (1842) 190. 

 Ornismyn colubrh, Deville. Rev. et. ^lag. Zool. (May, 1852) (habits). 



Description. 



Tail in the male deeply forked, the feathers all narrow lanceolate-acute ; in the 

 females lightly rounded and emarginate; the feathers broader, though pointed; male, 

 uniform metallic-green above; a ruby-red gorget Avith no conspicuous rutf; a white 

 collar on the throat; sides of bodj' greenish; tail feathers uniformly brownish-violet; 

 female, without the red on the throat; the tail is rounded and emarginate, the 

 inner feathers shorter than the outer; the tail feathers banded with black, and 

 the outer tipped with white; no rufous or cinnamon on the tail in either sex. 



Length, three and twenty-five one-hundredths inch; wing, one and sixty one- 

 hundredths; tail, one and twenty- five one-hundredths inch; bill, sixty-five onc- 

 bundredths. 



THIS beautiful little winged gem is distributed througb- 

 out New Eno'land as a summer visitor. It arrives 

 from tbe south from about the loth to tbe 25 tb of May, 

 according to latitude, and usually in pairs. Tbe first notice 

 that we bave of liis arrival is a bumming sound, and now 



