THE SLENDEE SHEAE-TAIL. 



SLENDER SHEAR-TAIL HUMMlNQ-BIRi). 



Thaumastura enicura. 

 SWORD-BILL HUMMING-BIRD.— I»ocimns^er msifenis. 



conspicuous wliite spot slightly elongated, 

 and there is a broad crescent-shaped 

 mark of light green on each side of the 

 neck. The under parts are of a bronze- 

 green, and the under tail-coverts are 

 flecked with a little white. The female 

 is of much the same colour as the male 

 upon the upper parts of the body, except 

 that there is a little white upon tlie lower 

 part of the back and a narrow white line 

 behind the eye. The throat is brown, 

 each feather being slightly edged with 

 grey, and there is a very faint indication 

 of emerald-green on part of the throat. 

 The young male is much like the female, 

 but is more coppery in his hues. The 

 throat is white speckled with brown, 

 because each feather is white with a 

 brown tip. At each side of the throat 

 there is a large patch of green inter- 

 mingled with white. 



The Slender Sheae-tail is an in- 

 habitant of Central America, and appears 

 to be rather a local bird. It is supposed 

 not to be found south of the Isthmus of 

 Panama, nor to extend more than eighteen 

 degrees northwards. As its wings are 

 rather short, and not remarkable for 

 strength, it is conjectured to be a non- 

 migratory bird. The country where it is 

 seen in the greatest plenty is Guatemala. 



The sexes of this creature are very 

 different in their form and colour of their 

 plumage, and could hardly be recognised 

 as belonging to the same species. In the 

 adult male bird, the upper parts of the 

 body are a deep shining green, becoming 

 brown on the head, and changing into 

 bronze on the back and wing-coverts. 

 The wings are jjurple-brown. The long 

 and deeply-forked tail is black, with the 

 exception of a little brown upon the 

 inner web of the two outermost feathers. 

 The chin is black glossed with green, the 

 throat is deep metallic purple, and upon 

 the upper part of the chest is placed a 

 large crescent-shaped mark of buff. The 

 abdomen is bronze, with a grey spot in 

 its centre ; and there is a buff spot on 

 each flank. The under tail-coverts are 

 of a greenish hue. 



The female does not possess the long 

 tail, and her colours are golden-green 

 above and reddish-buff below. The tail 

 is very curiously marked. The central 

 feathers are entirely gold-green; the 



