BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 315 
Bill very long (nearly twice to nearly three times as long as head), 
more or less decidedly decurved, broader than deep at base, the 
culmen rounded except for mesorhinal portion, where compressed 
into a narrow ridge; mandible with a broad and distinct lateral 
groove, the maxilla sometimes faintly grooved; tomia smooth. 
Nostril narrow, slit-like, overhung by a broad, tumid, mostly un- 
feathered operculum. ‘Tarsus feathered (more or less completely), 
longer than anterior toes (without claw), these about equal in length, 
the hallux shorter and weaker; middle toe united to outer toe 
except for its terminal phalanx. Wing decidedly longer than bill, 
the outermost primary longest. Tail about as long as wing (some- 
times decidedly longer), excessively graduated, the middle pair of 
rectrices at least twice as long as lateral pair, sometimes several 
times as long, often attenuated terminally. 
Coloration—Above usually olivaceous, more or less glossed with 
metallic green or bronze, the upper tail-coverts rufescent or tipped 
with tawny, buffy, or whitish; rectrices dusky, tipped or terminally 
margined with whitish, buffy, or rusty, the elongated middle pair 
whitish, or at least paler, terminally; under parts buffy grayish, 
ochraceous, or tawny, the throat sometimes with a broad median 
area of striped grayish or plain buffy whitish. Sexes alike. (One 
or two species have the sexes decidedly different in coloration, the 
adult male being glossy metallic green above, more bluish on upper. 
tail-coverts, the under parts glossed laterally with the same.) 
Range.—Southern Mexico to Cayenne, southeastern Brazil, Bolivia, 
and Ecuadér. (About fifty species and subspecies.) 
KEY TO THE SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES OF PH@THORNIS. 
a. Larger (wing more than 50 mm.). (Phethornis.) 
b. Under parts mostly slate-gray or metallic bluish green; upper parts bright bluish 
green passing into green, bluish green, or blue on upper tail-coverts. (Phe- 
thornis guyt.) 
c. Rump and upper tail-coverts decidedly greenish (green or bluish green); adult 
males with under parts mostly gray (more or less dark). 
d. Rump and upper tail-coverts green, the back bronze-green or greenish 
bronze. (Venezuela and Trinidad.) 
Phethornis guyi guyi (extralimital).¢ 
@ Trochilus guy Lesson, Hist. Nat. Troch., 1829, 119, pl. 44.—[Phaéthornis] guy 
Bonaparte, Consp. Av., i, 1850, 67.—Phexthornis guyt Gould, Mon. Troch., i, 1852, 
pl. 26; Elliot, Classif. and Synop. Troch., 1879, 13; Salvin, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., 
xvi, 1892, 268.—P[haéthornis] guy (typicus) Hartert, Das Tierreich, Troch., 1900, 
19 (mon.).— T[oxoteuches] guyt Cabanis and Heine, Mus. Hein., iti, 1860, 11, part.— 
Phaetornis guy Léotaud, Ois. Trinidad, 1866, 129.—Guyornis typus Bonaparte, Rev. 
et Mag. de Zool., 1854, 249. 
