236 



THE WHITE-BOOTED EACKET-TAIL. 



becoming more luminous towards the chest. Under the chin there is a little velvet-black 

 spot, which is very conspicuous against the light green of the surrounding feathers. Thft 

 upper parts are bronze-green, and a buff-white band crosses the lower end of the back. 

 The very curious tail is deeply forked, the two exterior feathers being twice the length of 



the second pair, and the others 

 decreasing in length in rapid pro- 

 gression. The general colour of 

 the tall is purple-black, the purple 

 being especially visible on the 

 "rackets." The female possesses 

 no rackets on the tail, nor green 

 on her head or throat. The velvet- 

 black spot on the chin, however, 

 retains its place. 



The White-booted Eacket- 

 TAIL inhabits the Columbian 

 Andes, and is very common near 

 Santa Fe de Bogota. It is a hill- 

 loving bird, being generally found 

 at an elevation of five or ten 

 thousand feet above the level of 

 the sea. It is thought to be con- 

 fined within the tliird and tenth 

 degrees of north latitude. This 

 bird is remarkably swift of wing, 

 its darting flight reminding the 

 spectator of the passage of an 

 arrow through the air. At one 

 time it will hover close to the 

 ground, hanging over some favour- 

 ite flower and extracting the sweet 

 contents of the blossoms ; and at 

 the next moment it will shoot to 

 the very summit of some lofty 

 tree, as if impelled from a bow, 

 and leave but the impression of 

 an emerald-green line of light 

 upon the observer's eye. While 

 hovering over the flowers, the 

 long racket-shaped feathers of the 

 tail are in constant motion, waving 

 gently in the air, crossing each 

 other, opening and closing in the 

 most graceful manner. But when 

 the bird darts off with its peculiar 

 arrowy flight, the tail-feathers lie 

 straight behind it. 

 The male of this species is bronze-green upon the greater part of the body, the green 

 taking a richer and redder hue upon the upper tail-coverts. The throat and breast are 

 brilhant emerald-green. The wings are purple-brown, and the tail is brown, with the 

 exception of the rackets, which are black " shot " with green. The feet, are yellow, and 

 upon the legs are placed two beautiful white puffs. The whole length of the bird is 

 rather more than three inches. The female bird does not possess the racket-shaped tail- 

 feathers, and is of a bronze-green upon the upper surface. The tail is brown, with the 

 exception of the two middle featliers, which are bronze-green like the body. The two 





WHITE-BOOTED RACKET-TAIL.— 5pot^jira Underwoodii. 

 Male and Female. 



