TROCHILIDiE — THK HUMMIN(i-BlKDS. 4(35 



Atthis heloisa, Li;ss. & Dkl. 



HEtOISA'S HUHMINO-BIBD. 



Ornifsmya lic/inM, Lksson & Di;i,att:if., Hi'v. Zoijl. 1838, 15 (Xaliii>a). Md/imujd Ihlulmi, 

 tiiiAV & Mitch i;i,i., (!i'ii. liinls, I, 113. Tryphwiia hclumi, Ijonai'. (oiisp. Tmrli. 

 Kov. Mag. Zoiil. 1854, 257. Srhinplniriis lir/nimi; (IdUi.D, Jloii. 'rnuliil. Ill, ]il. cxli. 

 Atthis hflui.sm, Hkich. Cab. Jour. I'xtni'icl't, 1853, Aini. \i. — (ioii.n, liilnnl. Tiinliil, 

 1801, 89. — Elmut, llhist. liiiils X. Am. 1, xxi, xii, iilato. — C'niii'Ki!, (»ni. Cal. 1, 

 1870, 301. 



Sp. CiiAU. Male. Above motallic f;rucii with golden ri'llcctioiis; liciicnili white; the .^ides 

 of breast {(lo.sseil with prreen; tlie (hiiik.-i witli rufous, which tincres thecrissuui very i'aiiulv ■ 

 gorget brilliant violet or light [lurplish-red, bordered behind liy clear while. .\11 the tuil- 

 fcathers rufous-cinnamon for basal half ; the three outer black eenlrally ami li]i|)ed wiih 

 while (uii.xed with reddish ou the third); the fourlh green, eeiilrally li|i|ieil with lilack ; 

 the ccnti'al entirely green for the exposed portion, perhaps glossed with bhukish at lin' 

 end. Length, "2.70; wing, 1.35; tail, l.(H); exposed |)art of bill above. .15. FcindU-. 

 Outer primary not atlenuateil. Colors similar to male, wanting the metallic gorget : tin' 

 feathers spotted with dusky; eri.ssmn and flanks more rufous; innermost tail-feathers 

 entirely green; other feathers as in male, Ijut with the central black encroaching on the 

 basal rufous; third and fourth feathers tipped with reddish-white. 



Hac. Southern New Mexico and Texas, to Uualeinala. 



The introtliiction of tliis s])ooieR into tlio fiiiina oi' tlic riiitcd .Stutos is 

 based on a female .specimen collected l>y Mr. .T. II. Clnik at Kl I'aso, Texas, 

 and for a time supposed to be Si'lnfiphoriin rufu^i, bnt ai'tcf a caicl'iil cxainiiia- 

 tion by ^Fr. Lawrence, jiroiumnced to belong to this .spccie.s. its raiine is 

 southward alon^' the iiio;hlrtnd.s to (iuatemidii. 



The species is very miicli like Sc/axjiliori's in shajit;, and liardly diUcrs 

 more than (S'. ritfii.<i and plafi/corxs do from eacli otiicr. 'I'iie nude is easily 

 distino'uished from its allies; the females are closely related to tliose of 

 riifioi, difjeriii},' in much shorter bill (..jo to .do), much less rufous on the 

 more nearly even tail, with broader featliers, etc. 



Habits. This species claims a jdace within the faiiiiii of Nortli America, 

 prol)ably only as an accidental visitor, on the oround of a single siH'cimeii, — 

 a iemale, taken by Mr. J. H. Clark at Kl Past), Textis. It was at lirst mis- 

 taken for Stldsplionia mfux. It is a Mexican and Central American sjiccies, 

 ranginc; throughout the highlands at least as far to the s(aitli as (iiiateiiiala, 

 where it wtis taken by ^Fr. Salvin. 



It was first discovered on the liighlands of Mexico by Mr. Dclaltrc, who 

 procured his s])ecimens between Jalapa and Quatepu. It is crei)uscidar in 

 its habits, collecting its food oidy in the morning or in tlie evening. Mr. 

 Delattre states tiiat tlie male bird is known to rise very early in the morn- 

 ing, cand is never seen in quest of I'ood later than nine in the forenoon. It 

 very seldom goes to anj' distance from its mate or yotnig, seeming to prefer 

 to frecpient tlie flowers in the edge of forests, but does not ilisdain (Imse of 

 the open fields. Mr. Snlvin received specimens of this species taken in a 



vol.. u. .jU 



