344 TEOCHILLDiE. 



Dr. Merritt, who found this species in the district of Veragua called El Mineral, 

 says that it is very pugnacious, seeking its food from the flowers of the guava. The 

 specimens sent by this collector to Mr. Lawrence were described as Mellisuga merrittii'' ; 

 they were, from the characters given, evidently females. Males have since reached us, 

 and though Gould at one time considered this Central-American form to be distinguish- 

 able from the true K. guimeti, in which opinion he was followed by Salvin, we are now 

 convinced that no such distinction exists. 



b. Minores: cauda plerumque ahnormalis vix unquam regulariter rotundata aut fwrcata 

 sed valde variabilis, rectrice utrinque extima scepe attenuata ; gula plerumque rubra, 

 micans, interdum violacea ; caput cristatum aut simplex, cervix nonnwnquam plvmis 

 elongatis ornata; dorsum uniforme, aut fascia transversa albida ornatum. 



c'. Cauda variabilis, sed haud cuneata aut spatulata ; gula plerumque micanti-rubra, 

 interdum violacea ; fascia dorsalis nulla. 



i". Cauda elongata, furcata haud transfasciata ; rostrum longum et arcuatum ; gula 



micanti-rubra, violaceo tincta. 



DOEICHA. 



Calliphlox, jS. Doricha, Eeich. Aufz. d. Col. p. 12. 



Boricha, Gould, Intr. Troch. p. 94; Salv. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xvi. p. 380. 



Though this and the following genera are very varied as to their structural details, 

 they all seem to be more nearly allied to one another than to the other members of the 

 family. 



Doricha is distinguished by the long tail of all its species, the outer feathers having 

 no transverse bands as in Tilmatura. The throat is usually of a ruby-red colour, with 

 shades of violet and sometimes, as in D. enicura, of an amethystine-purple. The tail, 

 though long, varies considerably in this respect, and diagnostic specific characters 

 are to be found in the way in which the outer rectrices are edged with rufous. 



The range of Doricha is peculiar, inasmuch as all the species except two are peculiar 

 to Southern Mexico and Central America. The exceptions are closely-allied species 

 restricted to certain groups of the Bahama Islands, no species being found in the larger 

 intervening Antilles. 



Of the three species found in our country, D. elizce is peculiar to Southern Mexico, 

 including Northern Yucatan, D. enicura to Guatemala, and D. hryantoe to Costa Rica 

 and the adjoining portion of the State of Panama. 



