466 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS.— PICABIM—CYPSELIFORMES. 



with dusky ; others green (or gray) for a distance decreasing on successive feathers, crossed 

 with black, tipped with white to reciprocally increasing extent, and touched with rufous at 

 base, as in several allied species ; but the small size, slight rufous on tail, and the extensive 

 rufous on under parts, are characteristic. Mts. of whole Pacific slope, TJ. S. ; E. to Nevada ; 

 S. into Mexico. 

 141. CALOTHCRAX. (Gr. (taXos, fcotos, beautiful ; 6apa^, thorax, (Aiest.) Lucifer Hummers. 

 Very different from any of the foregoing. BiU curved throughout, longer than head; but nasal 

 scale covered as usual by feathers, and color of bill black. Tail deeply forked ; lateral tail- 

 feather shorter than next, and in our species filiform and acicular. Tarsi partly plumose. 

 Sexes unlike. 



418. C. lu'cifer. (Lat. Lucifer, the light-bearer; lux, light, /e)'0, I bear. Fig. 315.) LuCIPER 



Humming-bird. $ : Above, bronzy-green ; gorget lilac- 

 purple ; wings and tail purplish-dusky. Below, white, 

 bronzed with green on the iianks. Bill black. Length 3.25; 

 wing 1.50; tail 1.35; bill 0.75. ?: Above, like $, but 

 browner on head; n) gorget; under parts rufous. Middle 

 tail-feathers bronzy-green, next green tipped with black; 

 the rest rufous basally, then crossed with black and tipped 

 with white. Tail shaped as in the ^? (My description is 

 unsatisfactory; but the species should be known by the 

 curi'ed bill.) Arizona : introduced into our fauna upon 



Fig. 315. - Lucifer Hamming-bird, a ? wrongly identified as "Doricha enicura." (See Bull, 

 rf.nat. size., (From Elliot.) Nutt. Club, ii, 1877, p. 108.) 



,142. AMAZI'LIA. (Latinized from amazili, vox barb.) Amazili Hummers. Belonging to a 

 group which includes Basilmna and lache; very unlike any of the others. Nasal scale large 

 and tumid ; nasal slit entirely exposed ; feathers extending in a point on the sides of the cul- 

 men, sweeping obliquely across the basal part of the nasal scale, and forming at the angle of 

 the mouth a deep re-entrance vnth those of the chin, which reach much farther forward on the 

 interramal space. BiU light-colored, dark-tipped, quite broad and flattened at base, thence 

 gradually tapering to the acuminate tip, slightly bent downward, the curve most noticeable 

 just back of the middle. Tarsi appearing feathered nearly to the toes, but really naked except 

 at the top in front. No lengthened ruffs or tufts about the head ; no metallic scales on top of 

 head, diflerent from those of the upper parts at large ; no special head-markings. Tail ample, 

 forked or emarginate, the feathers all broad and obtuse, with simply rounded ends. No peculiar 

 primaries, though the outer ones are narrower and more falcate than the next. Of large size, 

 usually 4-5 inches. Sexes alike in form and color. An extensive genus, covering some 25 

 species, two of which are known to reach our border : above characters more particularly 

 applicable to these. 



419. A. f uscocauda'ta. (Lat. /ttsco, with dusky, cflSMofoto, tailed.) Dusky-tailed Humming-bird. 

 $ 9 : Above, metallic grass-green, or golden-green, more brassy on crown and rump, the long 

 upper tail-coverts cinnamon-rufous. Wings purplish-dusky, their coverts like back. Tail 

 deep chestnut, the feathers edged and ended with bronzy-purplish. Throat, breast and sides 

 metallic green, glittering emerald in certain lights on the former, on the latter duller and more 

 bronzy ; feathers gray beneath the metallic tips, and this color prevailing on the abdomen ; 

 erissnm rufous ; flank-tufts fleecy white. BUI extensively light-colored, dusky at end. 

 Length about 4.00 ; wing 2.25 ; taU 1.60 ; biU 0.80. Differs from the next in not having the 

 under parts extensively fawn-colored. Lower Rio Grande of Texas, to S. Am. 



420. A. cerviniven'tris. (Lat. eervinus, like a deer, cervus; in this case meaning fawn-colored r 

 »ew*rM, of the belly.) Uufous-bellibd Humming-bird. $9' Upper parts shining golden- 

 green, nearly uniform from head to tail, but top of the head rather darker, and with a reddish 



