THE BLUE-TAILED SYLPH. 



251 



The plumage of this species is extremely variable, but may be described briefly aa 

 follows. The forehead, the crown, and the nape of the neck are metallic ruby red, and 

 the chin, throat, and chest are effulgent topaz. The upper parts of the body are 

 velvety bronze-brown, and the wings are purple-brown. The tail is rich chestnut red, 

 tipped with black, and the abdomen is a dark olive-brown. The female has none of the 

 ruby patches on the head, but retains a little of the topaz on the throat. 



Occupying the centre of the illustration 

 on page 223, may be seen a very striking and 

 remarkable bird, whose long forked tail ex- 

 tends completely across the engraving. This 

 is the Blue-tailed Sylph (JJynanthus cy- 

 anurus), one of the most beautiful of the 

 birds which are called by the name of Sylphs, 

 in allusion to their beautiful form and grace- 

 ful movements. 



This beautiful bird is found in the tem- 

 perate regions of the Andes, its range ex- 

 tending as far as Panama. It also inhabits 

 the sides of the Cordilleras, at an elevation 

 of five or ten thousand feet above the level 

 of the sea, as the vegetation of those regions 

 is most luxuriant in spite of the coldness of 

 the climate, and affords plentiful nourish- 

 ment for the Humming-birds. The flower 

 on which it usually feeds is the Sechon 

 Quitense, and its flight is extremely rapid as 

 it darts from one flower to another. 



In the male bird the crown of the head is 

 of a metallic golden green, and the general 

 colour of the body is a bronze-green, becoming 

 browner on the under parts. Upon the 

 throat is a gorget of the most intense purple- 

 blue, and the wings are purple-brown. The 

 two central feathers of the magnificent tail 

 are shining metallic green, the two next are 

 black at their base and rich blue towards 

 their extremities, and tipped and edged with 

 bright metallic green, " shot" with blue. The 

 outer feathers are black for the first half of 

 their length, and the remaining portion is 

 metallic steely blue. Some white feathers 

 are scattered across the end of the abdomen, 

 the under tail-coverts are green, and there is 

 a little white dab above the eye and another 

 behind it. 



The female is something like the male, but not so bright in colouring. The throat 

 is greyish- white covered with green spots, and the abdomen is rusty red, changing into 

 bronze-green upon the flanks. The young male is duller in colour than the adult, the 

 tail is shorter, and there is no blue part upon the throat. Like many other of the Hum- 

 ming-birds, this species is extremely variable in its colouring, especially among the young 

 males. The length of this species is about seven inches. It is not, however, so remarkable 

 for the length of its tail as the Teainbeaeer {Lesbia Amaryllis), a native of Quito. 

 This bird, although a small creature, possesses a long and very straight tail, something 

 like that of the Polytmus or the Sappho, but much larger in proportion, the length of the 

 elongated feathers being nearly six inches. 



RUBY AND TOPAZ HaMMING-BlKL». 



Chrysolampis moschitus. 



