596 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM, 
primary or two outermost longest, and in adult males usually @ 
attenuated and accuminate terminally (in S. platycercus slightly 
excurved, in other species strongly incurved). Tail of adult male 
about two-thirds as long as wing, more or less rounded or graduated 
(nearly truncate in S. platycercus), the rectrices more or less con- 
tracted and obtusely pointed terminally, the lateral ones sometimes 
very narrow; in adult females and young a little less than three- 
fifths to two-thirds as long as wing, rounded, the rectrices broader 
and rounded terminally. 
Coloration.—Above metallic bronze-green or bronze, or else (in 
8. rufus) mostly cinnamon-rufous; chest white or whitish. Adult 
males with chin and throat metallic scarlet, rose red, wine purple, 
or heliotrope, the “gorget’’ elongated laterally; rectrices mostly 
dusky, edged, more or less broadly (at least on one web), with 
cinnamon-rufous, or else cinnamon-rufous with a mesial streak (at 
least near end) of dusky. Adult females and young with throat 
whitish, usually flecked with bronze or dusky, sometimes spotted with 
metallic red, etc., the lateral rectrices cinnamon-rufous basally and 
broadly tipped with white, cinnamon-buff, or cimnamon-rufous. 
Range.—Southern Alaska to western Panama. (Hight species.) 
KEY TO THE SPECIES OF SELASPHORUS. 
a. Throat metallic red or purple. (Adult males.) 
b. Pileum metallic greenish. 
' ¢, Throat metallic purple (reddish purple to greenish purple); rectrices mostly 
purplish black or dark bronzy purple. 
d. Larger (wing more than 45, tail 30 or more, exposed culmen 16 or more); 
tip of outermost primary attenuated and recurved; throat bright sol- 
ferino. (Western United States to Guatemala.) 
Selasphorus platycercus, adult male (p. 597). 
dd. Smaller (wing less than 45, tail less than 30, exposed culmen much less 
than 16); tip of outermost primary neither attenuated nor recurved; 
throat not solferino. 
e. Throat dull rose purple to greenish heliotrope; middle rectrices mostly 
metallic green; under wing-coverts and axillars with little if any 
cinnamon-rufous. 
f. Throat dull rose purple or wine purple. (Costa Rica and western 
Panama)... -2.--2.+-+-+- Selasphorus flammula, adult male (p. 601). 
Jf. Throat dull grayish or greenish purple (greenish heliotrope). (Costa 
Rica and western Panamé.) 
Selasphorus torridus, adult male (p. 602). 
ee. Throat bright reddish purple (pomegranate purple to nearly crimson); 
middle rectrices mostly purplish black or dark bronzy purple; under 
wing-coverts and axillars with much cinnamon-rufous. 
jf. Middle rectrices very broadly edged with cinnamon-rufous and inner 
webs of lateral rectrices broadly edged with same; under tail-coverts 
@ The tip of the outermost primary in S. flammula, S. ardens, and S. torridus is 
obtusely pointed and the quill less attenuated than in other species. 
>The ninth species of Sharpe’s Hand-List (vol. ii, p. 141), 8S. floresit Gould, is 
undoubtedly a hybrid of Selasphorus rufus (or S. alleni) and Calypte anna, 
