384 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 
Genus HYLOCHARIS Boie. 
Hylocharis Born, Isis, 1831, 546. (Type, Trochilus saphirinus Gmelin.) 
Sapphironia BonaPARTE, Rev. et Mag. de Zool., vi (2), May, 1854, 256. (Type, 
as fixed by Gray, 1855, Trochilus sapphirinus Gmelin.) 
Rather small Trochilide (length about 80-100 mm.) with bill longer 
than head, broad and depressed basally, the broad nasal operculi very 
tumid and completely naked, frontal feathering forming a transverse 
line across base of forehead, tail slightly rounded or double-rounded, 
no black or white markings on head,? and tail uniform bright metallic 
golden, bronze, coppery, or blue-black. 
Bill decidedly longer than head, depressed, broad basally, very 
slightly decurved; culmen broadly rounded, but contracted into a 
narrow ridge basally; tomia smooth; a more or less distinct narrow 
median groove along sides of mandible, and more or less distinct 
indication of a similar groove on maxilla. Nasal operculum broad, 
tumid, completely nude, the frontal feathering forming a transverse 
line across base of forehead or (in H. grayv) forming two very slight 
antie. Tarsus feathered for upper portion, at least in front; middle 
and inner toes about equal in length, the outer slightly shorter; 
hallux shorter than outer toe. Wing nearly three times as long as 
exposed culmen, the outermost primary longest. Tail more than 
half as long as wing, slightly rounded or double-rounded, the rectrices 
broad, with rounded tip. 
Coloration—Above metallic green or bronze-green (sometimes 
with head or at least forehead blue or violet), the tail very bright 
metallic golden, golden-green, bronze, or dark chestnut with middle 
rectrices and upper coverts copper bronze, or else uniform blue- 
black; adult males with under parts of body metallic green or bronze, 
the throat bronze, green, blue, or violet, the chin sometimes rufous. 
Sexes different (except in H. grayi), the female with under parts 
mostly dull whitish medially. 
Range.—Guatemala to Guiana, Paraguay, northern Argentina, 
Bolivia, and eastern Peru. (About ten species and subspecies, but 
only one in Middle America.) 
HYLOCHARIS ELICL& (Bourcier and Mulsant). 
ELICIA’S GOLDEN-TAIL. 
Adult male.—Pileum, hindneck, back, scapulars, and wing-coverts 
metallic green (varying from nearly pure green to more or less golden 
green), passing, through a more golden or bronzy hue on rump, into 
bright golden or coppery bronze’on upper tail-coverts; tail brilliant 
golden bronze, more or less tinged with golden green in certain lights, 
@ The females of some species have the chin and throat intermixed with white. 
