296 THE SPANGLED COQUETTE. 
The WHITE-BOOTED RACKET-TAIL inhabits the Columbian Andes, and is 
very common near Santa Fé de Bogéta. It is a hill-loving bird, being 
generally found at an elevation of five or ten thousand feet above the level 
of the sea. It is thought to be confined within the third and tenth degrees 
of north latitude. This bird is remarkably swift of wing, its darting flight 
reminding the spectator of the passage of an arrow through the air. At one 
time it will hover close to the ground, hanging over some favourite flower 
and extracting the sweet contents of the blossoms ; and at the next moment 
it will shoot to the very summit of some lofty tree, as if impelled from a 
bow, and leave but the impression of an emerald-green line of light upon the 
observer's eye. While hovering over the flowers the long racket-shaped 
feathers of the tail are in constant motion, waving gently in the air, crossing 
each other, opening and closing in the most graceful nianner. But when the 
bird darts off with its peculiar arrowy flight, the tail-feathers lie straight 
behind it. 
The male of this species is bronze-green upon the greater part of the body, 
the green takin a richer and redder hue vpon the upper tail-coverts. The 
throat and breast are bril- 
liant emerald green. The 
wings are purple-brown, 
and the tail is brown, with 
che exception of the rack- 
ets, which are black “shot” 
with green. The feet are 
yellow, and upon the legs 
are placed two beautiful 
, white puffs. The whole 
% length of the bird is rather 
more than three inches. 
The female bird does not 
; possess the racket-shaped 
S s i d : tail-feathers, and is of a 
~ =| bronze- green upon the 
“ESS e ae upper surface. The tail is 
SPANGLED COQUETIE. —(Lophornis Regine.) brown, with the exception 
of the two middle feathers, 
which are bronze-green like the body. The two exterior feathers are tipped 
with white, and the others with bronze-green. ‘The under surface is white, 
diversified with bronze-green spots on the breast and flanks. The puis 
are smalier than in the male 
THE accompanying illustration represents another remarkable little bird 
possessed of a most beautiful and graceful crest. The SPANGLED COQUETTE 
is an excellent example of the very remarkable genus to which it belongs 
All the Coquettes possess a well-defined crest upon the head and a series of 
projecting feathers from the neck, some being especially notable for the one 
ornament, and others for the other. 
The crown of the head and the crest are light ruddy chestnut, each 
feather having a ball-like spot of dark bronze-green at the tip. The throat 
and face are shining metallic green, below which is a small tuft of pointed 
white feathers that have a very curious effect as they protude from beneath 
the gorget. The upper parts are bronze-green as far as the lower part of the 
back, where a band crosses from side to side, and the rest of the plumage is 
dark ruddy chestnut as far as the tail. The tail is also chestnut-brown, 
with a slight wash of metallic green. The female has no crest nor green 
gorget. 
