Todd-Caeriker : Birds of Santa Marta Region, Colombia. 255 



Thirty-nine specimens: El Libano, Cincinnati, San Lorenzo, Sierra 

 Nevada de Santa Marta (6,000 feet) San Miguel, Cerro de Caracas, 

 and Heights of Chirua. 



A very distinct, isolated species, but scarcely entitled to generic 

 separation from Helianthea. Fully adult males appear to have the 

 tail wholly pure white, like the type, but many of the specimens of our 

 series have the feathers more or less shaded and tipped with bronzy — 

 markedly in some cases, as for instance in No. 38,626, in which the 

 middle rectrices are more than half of this color. This condition is 

 accompanied by the presence of cinnamon-tipped feathers on the abdo- 

 men — clearly indicative of immaturity. Two such specimens (Nos. 

 38,004 and 44,890) also lack the glittering crown, the feathers being 

 dark green like the rest of the upper parts. This is clearly an indi- 

 vidual variation, and is precisely analogous to the case of a specimen 

 of H. helianthea in the series now before us. The young male, il- 

 lustrated by No. 45,140 (March 30), is like the adult female, but with 

 ■a few green feathers coming in below, and indications of the glit- 

 , taring crown. Young females are duller cinnamon below than the 

 adults, with more dusky spotting. 



This beautiful bird is one of the interesting discoveries made by Mr. 

 Brown in the Sierra Nevada. His first specimen, from which Mr. 

 Bangs described the species, was taken at San Miguel, instead of 

 Macotama, as erroneously given on the label, under the following cir- 

 cumstances : " After a difficult march through the forest, the way 

 barred by swollen torrents and fallen trees, I arrived at the Argoneous 

 town of San Miguel. Here hummingbirds of many species were seen, 

 and on that day [June 17] I collected the only specimen of this beauti- 

 ful white-tailed species that I have seen in these mountains. I first 

 detected it hovering above an orchid. Its flight was rapid and strong, 

 and it uttered a twittering note as it darted from flower to flower in 

 search of its food, its gorgeous plumage shining in the morning sun. 

 As I only watched this little gem a few minutes before shooting it, 

 I detected nothing in its habits to distinguish it from the numerous 

 other hummingbirds that were about me." Later Mr. Brown secured 

 another male at an altitude of 1 1,000 feet on the Paramo de Macotama. 

 Mr. Smith traced it to the San Lorenzo, securing nine specimens at 

 El Libano (6,000 feet), including three females, which were duly de- 

 scribed by Dr. Allen. According to the writer's experience the species 

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