TB0CHILID2E — TBOCHILIN^ : HUMMING-BIRBS. 



463 



Fig. 307. — Tail 

 of S. allenl, nat, size. 



Fig. 308. — Green -backed Rufous 

 Humming-bird, ^f , n.'it. size. (From 

 Elliot, ) 



platycercits the same feather is 0.25 wide, and over 1.00 long.) Rocky Mts. to the Pacific, N. 

 to Alaslia; the commonest and most extensively distributed species in the West. Noted as 

 the northernmost known species of the family. (This is S. rufus, Gm., the true " Nootka 

 Sound Humming-bird," the $ ea.sily l^nown by its ciunamon-red back, and tlie nick in the 

 next to the middle tail-feather. iS. henshawi Elliot.) 



412. S. al'leni. (To C. A. Allen, of California. Figs. 307, 308.) Green-backeu Kurous Humming- 

 BiRn. Allen Humming-bird. In generalities shnilar to the last. (J: Two outer tail-featliors 



on each side very small and narrow, the 



outermost almost acioular ; next little 



larger ; thii'd abruptly larger ; fourth from 



the outer smaller than third or middle 



pair. Upper parts golden-green, dullest 



on crown. Under tail-coverts, belly and 



sides cinnamon, jjaler on the median 



line, white on breast next to the gorget. 



Tail-feathers cinnamon, tipped and edged 



with dusky-purphsh. Gorget fiery-red. 

 Length about 3.00; wing 1.50; tail 1.18 ; bill 0.64. ? 

 similar to ? rufus ; averaging smaller ; tail-feathers nar- 

 rower, especially the outer ones. Coast region of California 

 and northward. (This is the bird of ten described as 9 

 rufas ; carefully distinguished by Henshaw, Bull. Nutt. 

 Club, ii, 1877, p. 53 ; considered by Elliot to be true 

 rufus Gm.) 



413. S. platycer'cus. (Gr. ivkarvs, platus, broad ; Ke'p/cos, herkos, tail. Fig. 309.) Broad-tailed 

 Humming-bird. $ : No scales on top of head ; crown like back. A gorget of scales, not 

 prolonged into a ruff. Outer primary attenuate, acuminate, ending acicnlar, the point turned 

 outward ; next primary also narrowed, not so much so as the first, its end obliquely incised with 

 a slight nick. Tail amjile ; middle feathers scarcely or not shorter than the next, but the rest 

 rapidly graduated; middle and several lateral ones broad, briefly acuminate, the outermost nar- 

 rowed linearly with rounded end. Above, 

 including crown, golden-green; the two 

 middle tail-feathers purer shining grass- 

 green ; lateral tail-feathers purplisli- 

 dusky, some of them with naiTow longi- 

 tudinal chestnut edging only on one or 

 the other web (a strong character of the 

 species : compare extensively rufous tail- 

 feathers of the two foregoing species). 

 Gorget glancing lilac-red : other under 

 parts whitish, glossed with golden-green 

 on the sides and sometimes elsewhere. 

 Quills purplish-dusky. Length nearly 

 or quite 4.00; extent 4.75-5.00; wing 



9 : Outer primary narrow and falcate, but without 

 special attenuation at end. Outermost tail-feather narrower than the rest, as in the $ , but the 

 others rounded at ends, not acuminate. Lateral tail-feathers cliestnut at base quite across, then 

 black for a space, then white-tipped. Above, like ^ ; below, no gorget, the throat white with 

 dark specks ; no green on sides, which are more or less rufous, as in S. rufus 9 , fi'om which 

 some care must he taken in discrimination. It is usually less rufous below; midcUe tail-feathers 



Fig. 309. —Broad-tailed Humming-bird, J, 9, nat. size. 

 (From Elliot.) 



neariy or quite 2.00 ; tail 1.35 ; bill 0.70. 



