TliOUHILIU.l!: — THK HUMMING-BIRDS. 



445 



of several kinds of oaks. In (ieor;^ia tlio color of this down is of a deep 

 nankeen line, but in New Kn^land it is nearly always wiiite. At lirst tlie nest 

 is made of tliis sulistaiiee alone, and the entire comidement of eggs, never 

 more than two, is sometimes laid before tiie covering of liciiens is put on by 

 the male bird, who seems to amuse himself with this while his nuite is sit- 

 ting upon her eggs. 



Genus STELLULA, (ioiTi.n. 



Stellula, Gould, Introd. Trocliil. 18(51, 00. (Type, Trnhilit.t fiiriinjii', (ii.fi.i).) 



Gen. Char. Bill rntlier lonjrcr lliim Hio hoad ; straifrht. Winers iiiiicli dcvoloned, reach- 

 ing lioyond the tail, which is short, nearly even, or .slightly n)uiuled, and with the innor- 

 niost leathers ahrniitly shoi't ; the onler I'eaihef rather nar- 

 rower and more linear than the others, whieli have n rather 

 spatnlate I'orni. Metallic throat-feathers elongated and rather 

 linear and loose, not forming a continuons metallic surliiee. 

 Central tail-feather without green. 



This genas, established l)y Gould, has a .slight re- 

 senil)lance to Atthis, Ijut dilfers in absence of the 

 attenuated tip of outer primary. Tlie outer three tiul- *'"""'" '""'"f- 



feathers are longest and nearly even (tiie second rather longest), the fourth 

 and fifth etpial and abruptly a little sliorter, the latter without any green. 

 The feathers are ratlier broad and wider terminally (liie outermost least s<»), 

 anil are obtusely rounded at end. Tiie tail of the female is (juite similar. 

 The absence of green on the tail in the male .seems a good character. Ihit 

 one .species is known of the genus. 



Cidothonui is a clo.sely allied genus, in whicli the tail is considerably 

 longer. One species, C. ci/anojioijon, will probably be yet detected in New 

 Mexico. 



Stellula calliope, CJould. 



THE CALLIOPE HVHUINO-BIBD. 



Trochihi.i cnlliopr, Ooi-i.n, Pr. Z. S. 18-17, 11 (Mexico). C'aln/Iionix caUiopc, Gray, Ocnora, 

 1, 100. — nox. l!i'v. Mag. Zoiil. IS")!, 2,'.7. — Gori.ii, Mon. Troth. Ill, pi. c.\lii. — 

 Xan'its, Vv. a. N. Sc. ISriO, 190. — El.MoT, lllust. I'.inls N. A. I, xxiii. Stellula 

 wllii'pe, Goi'i.D, Iiitrod. Trocli. 18G1, 00. — Cooi'ki!, Orii. Cal. I, 1870, 363. 



Sp. Char. AfnJe above, except on tail, golden-green, beneath white, the sides glossed 

 with green, the flanks somewhat with nisty ; cri.ssnm pnre white. Tln'oal-feathers pnre 

 white at ba.se, terminal half violet-red, more reddish than in Atthis hrloisa; ; the sides of 

 nock pure white. Tail-feathers brown, edgecl at base, especially on inner webs, but in- 

 conspicuously, with rufous; the ends paler, as if fade<l ; central feathers like the rest; 

 under m.indiblc yellow. Length, 2."."): wing, l.GO; tail, 1.00; bill above to base of 

 feathers, ..')"). Fvitutle without the metallic gorget (repla(;ed by a few dusky specks), and 

 the throat-feathers not elongated ; no green mx sides, and more tinged with rufous beneath. 

 A white crescent under the eye. Tail more rounded and less emarginato than in the male. 



