304: NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



two-thirds as long as wing, decidedly arched ; tail graduated, the middle pair 

 of feathers much longer than the others, all tipped with white. 



Plumage very dull, almost devoid of metallic colors Phcethornis. 1 



a'. Anterior toes all cleft to the base ; bill never much compressed (usually broader 

 than deep), less than two-thirds as long as wings (except in Calothorax and 

 some species of Doricha), usually nearly straight (distinctly curved only in 

 Campylopterus, Lampornis, Calothorax, and some species of Doricha) ; tail va- 

 riable in form, but, if graduated, the middle pair of feathers neither elongated 

 nor white-tipped. 

 b 1 . Inner webs of two outer tail-feathers white, except at end. 



Secondaries rufous, tipped with darker ; wing about 2.10-2.40. 



Eupherusa? 

 b 2 . Inner web of two outer tail-feathers without white, except sometimes 

 at tip. 

 c 1 . Exposed culmen not more than .45 ; tail even, two-thirds as long as 



wing, the latter 1.75-2.00 Abeillia. 3 



c 2 . Exposed culmen decidedly more than .45. 



d 1 . Tail nearly as long as wing, wedge-shaped, with feathers broad and 

 rounded at tips ; shafts of three outer quills much (sometimes 



enormously) thickened; wing about 2.60 Sphenoproctus. 4, 



d 2 . Tail much shorter than wing; if wedge-shaped, the feathers narrow 

 and pointed at tips. 

 e 1 . Exposed culmen less than one-fourth as long as wing. 



Quills and secondaries rufous, with darker tips or termi- 

 nal margins ; tail plain dark purplish, tipped with dull 

 light grayish in female ; male with throat purplish 

 red, the remaining under parts rich purplish blue ; wing 



about 2.65-3.20 Lamprolaima? 



e 2 . Exposed culmen more than one-fourth as long as wing. 

 f 1 Exposed culmen one-half as long as wing, or longer. 



g\ "Wing 2.20, or more ; tail rounded, the feathers 



fact, at least two of them (Lamprolaima rhami ? and Campylopterus liemileucurus ?) have probably already been 

 seen by ornithologists. (See last foot-notes on pages 304 and 305.) 



1 Phxthornis Swains., Zool. Jour. ] 827, 357. Type, Trochilus superciliosus Linn. (One species in southern 

 Mexico, and numerous species farther south.) 



2 Eupherusa Goold, Mon. Troch. pt. xiv. 1857. Type Omismya eximia Delattr. (One species in southern 

 Mexico, another in Guatemala, a third in Costa Rica and Veragua.) 



8 Abeillia Bonap., Consp. i. 1850, 79. Type, Omismya abeillei Delattr. (One species in southern 

 Mexico and Central America.) 



* Sphenoproctus Cab. & Hein., Mus. Hein. iii. 1860, 11. Type, Omismya pampa Less. (One species in 

 southern Mexico, another in Guatemala.) 



6 Lamprolaima Reich., Aufz. der Colib. 1853, 9. Type Omismya rhami Less. (One species in highlands of 

 Mexico and Guatemala. This is possibly the species referred to in " Birds of the North-West," p. 273, but 

 erroneously identified by Dr. Coues as Eugenes fulgent, as follows : — " Mrs. Maxwell, of Boulder [Colorado], 

 . . . informs me that she has seen on two or three occasions a Hummingbird with a flaming-red throat and 

 breast, much larger than the present species [SelaspJiorus platyeercus], a straggler from Mexico, perhaps, as yet 

 undetected within the limits of the United States.") 



