IxYiii INTRODUCTION. 



humid districts bordering the River Rimac at Lima. It is seen in small troops composed of six or eight couples, 

 which are constantly pursuing one another, and uttering a shght cry. It is very airy in its flight, and rarely per- 

 mits any other Humming-Bird to remain in its neighbourhood, but wages a continual and terrible war with them. 



The largest species of the luminous lilac-throated Peruvian Humming- Birds, the R. Vespera, constitutes the 



Genus Rhodopis, Reichenb,, 



which, as the form differs from all the others, I have no other alternative, if I act with consistency, than to adopt. 

 It has a deeply forked tail, the feathers of which are narrow and rigid, not soft and yielding as in the T, Corce. I 

 have never seen a second species of this particular form. The female, like that sex in many other alUed genera, is 

 destitute of brilliant colouring. 



173. Rhodopis VESPERA • Vol. III. PL IM. 



Habitat. Pei'u. 



Not less beautiful in the colouring of their gorgets are the members of the 



Genus Doricha, Reichenb. 

 The D. ElizcB, the Guatemalan bird known as enicura, and the less-known Bahama species D. Evelyns are all 

 associated by me in this genus ; and if the plates on which they are respectively figured be referred to, it will be 

 seen how beautiful are the throat-markings of the males. 



174. Doricha Eliz^. 



Thaumastura Elizoe Vol. III. PL 155. 



Thaumastura Eliza, Montes de Oca in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1860, p. 552. 



Habitat. Southei'n Mexico. 



"This," says M. Montes de Oca, "is one of the rarest of the Mexican Humming-Birds. It is small, very 

 beautiful, and flies with wonderful rapidity, moving its wings with such velocity that it is almost impossible to see 

 them ; and it might easily be mistaken for a large bee, from the buzzing sound produced by their incessant motion. 

 In the vicinity of Jalapa it is called Mirto de Colo de tisera, or the spear-tailed Myrtle-sucker. It is very shy, and 

 diifers in its habits and manners from all other species. It is on the wing very early in the morning ; and I have 

 never seen any of the few specimens that have come under my observation between the hours of seven or eight 

 o'clock A.M. and five p.m., when they are again to be met with until dusk. When it has once been detected feeding 

 at any particular spot, it is almost sure to be found there at the same hour for several days in succession. It feeds 

 on the Masapan and Tohaco flowers, preferring, I think, the latter. It is also found and breeds at the Barrancas de 

 Jico (or the Precipices of Jico), about twenty miles from Jalapa. The nest, which is very small, round, flat at the 

 bottom, and neither so deep nor so thick at the base as those of most Humming-Birds, is covered on the outside 

 with moss from stones, and lined with tule, or cat-tail silky floss." 



175. Doricha Evelyn^e. 



Thaumastura Evelynee Vol. III. PL 156. 



Habitat, Bahama Islands. 



176. Doricha enicura. 



Thaumastura enicura y^l ijj_ pi ^57^ 



Habitat. Guatemala. 



" On no occasion," says Mr. Salvin, " were the males of this species observed about Duefias during the months 

 of February and March ; indeed it was not until the month of May that both males and females were seen too:ether, 

 at which time the Nopal of the cochineal plantations being in full flower, great numbers of Hummino--Birds, 

 especially of this species, were in the habit of feeding from the blossoms of that cactus. The females durino* the 

 winter months are common enough, and frequent the same places, and feed principally on the same trees as the 

 Cyanomyia cyanocephalaJ* — Ibis, vol. i. p. 129. 



" Occasionally, when flying, the elongated tail-feathers are stretched to a considerable angle."— /S/5,vol.ii.p.40. 



Speaking of three nests of this species Mr. Salvin says :— " One of these was in a coffee-tree, and had two eggs. 

 The other was most curiously placed in the cup-shaped top of a fruit of the Nopal {Cactiis cochinellifer), the 

 fastenings being dexterously wound round the clustering prickles, and thus retaining the whole structure most 



