294 COPPER-BELLIEY PUFF-LEG HUMMING-BIRD. 
The SLENDER SHEAR-TAIL is an inhabitant of Central America, and 
appears to be rather a local bird. It is supposed not to be found south of 
the Isthmus of Panama, nor to extend more than eighteen degrees north- 
ward. As its wings are rather short, and not remarkable for strength, it is 
conjectured to be a non-migratory bird. The country where it is seen in the 
greatest plenty is Guatemala. 
The sexes of this creature are very different in their form and colour of 
their plumage, and could hardly be recognized as belonging to the same 
species. In the adult male bird the upper parts of the body are a deep 
shining green, becoming brown on the head, and changing into bronze on 
the back and wing-coverts. The wings are purple-brown. The long and 
deep forked tail is black, with the exception of a little brown upon the inner 
web of the two uttermost feathers. The chin is black glossed with green, the 
throat is deep metallic pur- 
ple, and upon the upper ;art: 
of the chest is placed a large 
crescent-shaped mark of buff. 
The abdomen is bronze, with 
a grey spot in its centre ; and 
there is a buff spot on each 
flank, The under tail-coverts 
are of a greenish hue. 
The female does not pos- 
\ sess the long tail, and her 
colours are  golden-green 
= above and reddish buff be- 
low. The tail is very curi- 
} ously marked. The central 
feathers are entirely gold- 
Sy green; the exterior feathers 
are rusty red at their base, 
black for a considerable por- 
tion of their length, and 
tipped with white. 
Several of the Humming- 
birds are remarkable for a 
tuft of pure white downy fea- 
thers which envelop each 
leg, and which has obtained 
COPPER-BELLIED PUFF-LEG HUMMING-BIRD, for them the popular title of 
(Eriocnemis cupreiventris.) Puff-legs, because the white 
tufts bear some resemblance 
to a powder-puff. The COPPER-BELLIED PUFF-LEG is an inhabitant of 
Santa Fé de Bogéta, and is a very common bird in that locality. It may 
easily be found, as it is a remarkably local bird, being confined to a narrow 
strip or belt of land, wiich possesses the requisite characteristics of tempera- 
ture and vegetation. . 
It is avery beautiful little bird, and both the sexes are nearly similar in their 
colour and general appearance, except that in the female the puffs of white 
down are not so large nor so conspicuous as in her mate. In the adult male, 
the top of the head, the sides of the neck, and the back are green, washed 
with a decided tint of bronze, except upon the upper tail-coverts, where the 
green is very pure and of a metallic brilliancy. As is generally the case with 
Humming-birds, the fine and sharply-cut wings are brown washed with 
purple, The tail is black, with a purple gloss in a side light. The throat 1s 
