HELIOP.EDICA XANTUSI, Lam 



Xantus's Humming'-Bird. 



Amazilia Zantusii, La^vr. in Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist, in New York, April 9, 1860, female. 

 Heliopaedica castaneocauda, Lawr. in Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist, in New York, April 23^ 1860, male. 



It is pleasing to mark the progress which science has made during the present century, and to note the 

 important discoveries which have been the result of that impetus which has induced the mind of man to 

 search the heavens for a new planet, or to transport himself to the distant and untrodden lands of our globe 

 for the purpose of seeking for novelties in animal and vegetable life; nor is it less pleasing to the man of 

 science to make known and to record the important information that has thus been acquired. It may be 

 fairly stated that America has sons who will be second to none in the employment of their energies in this 

 direction ; for many of them are already actively engaged in zoological pursuits, and others are travelling 

 in distant lands in order to add to our store of knowledge ; among the latter may be especially mentioned 

 the discoverer of the present highly interesting species of Humming-Bird, of whom Mr. Lawrence, after 

 describing the bird in the 'Annals of the Lyceum of Natural History in New York,' thus speaks : " Specimens 

 were sent to the Smithsonian Institution by Mr. John Xantus, whose investigations of the ornithology of 

 western North Amei'ica have been the means of adding many new birds to science ; in compliment to 

 him I have named it." 



I may state that the Heliopcedica Xaiitmi and the H, melanoth are the only species of this particular form 

 that have yet been discovered. The latter is a native of Mexico and Guatemala, the former an inhabitant 

 of California ; but over what portions of that country its range extends is unknown. The specimens sent 

 to the Smithsonian Institution were procured at Cape Lucas. 



I cannot close this notice without recording my best thanks to the Secretaries of the Smithsonian Institution 

 for their liberality in permitting this rare species to be transmitted to me for the purpose of enriching the 

 present work ; neither am I less obliged to my friend Mr. Lawrence for his attention in making me speedily 

 acquainted with Mr. Xantus's discovery of a new Humming-Bird in what I presume may be considered as a 

 part of the North American States. 



"This species," says Mr. Lawrence, ''is a near ally of H. melanoth^ but differs in the head being black 

 instead of sapphire-blue, in the green plumage being of a much darker shade, the abdomen rufous, in place 

 of grey, and in the dark chestnut colour of the tail, which is mostly black in melanotkr 



The following is Mr. Lawrence's descri])tion of the two sexes ; but I must premise that, as the male had 

 been placed in spirits, the colours he describes are pi'obably a little darker than those of the bird when alive. 



** Male. — Front, crown, chin, and a continuous line running below and beyond the eye, black ; a white line 

 extends backward from behind the eye, and borders on the black ; the upper plumage is grass-green ; tail 

 dark chestnut-red, as are also the shafts ; the lateral feathers are somewhat lighter in colour; the two central 

 feathers have a margin of golden bronze extending entirely round them, the other tail-feathers have a narrow 

 edging of dull black encircling their ends ; wings purplish brown ; throat brilliant grass-green ; sides and 

 under wing-coverts grass-green ; abdomen and under tail-coverts dull rufous ; tarsi clothed with pale rufous 

 feathers; bill flesh-colour for three-quarters of its length, with the end black ; feet blackish brown. 



" Female. — Front adjoining the bill and lores bright rufous ; crown dark ash, with a tinge of pale purple, 

 on a side vievv dull green ; upper plumage and upper wing-coverts light shining green in some lights, golden, 

 paler and more golden on the upper tail-coverts, which are edged with rufous; the two central tail-feathers 

 light shining green, golden at the end; the other tail-feathers are chestnut-red, becoming gradually paler to 

 the outer ones ; the two feathers next the middle ones on each side have longitudinal black spots on the 

 outer side of both webs near the end, scarcely reaching to the shaft, these spots are bronzed ; the next 

 feather has the same marks, but less in extent, and on the outer web being merely a marginal line; on the 

 outer feather it consists of only a small spot on the edge of the inner web ; the shafts of all the tail-feathers 

 are red ; wings purplish brown, edged on the bend of the wing with pale rufous ; over the eye is a stripe of 

 pale rufous, which is continued and becomes broader over the ears, where it is white; below the eye and 

 extending along the side of the neck and under the white stripe is one of dull rufous brown ; under surface 

 of the body of a uniform rather pale rufous, on the sides of the breast and of the body under the wings 

 intermixed with green; under wing-coverts green, marked next the body with rufous; vent white; under 

 tail-coverts pale rufous ; upper mandible black, under flesh-coloured for about half its length, dusky black 

 at the end; tarsi clothed with pale rufous feathers ; feet black." 



The figures represent both sexes of the natural size. The plant is the Ceanothus Veitchianus. 



