THE HUMMING BIRDS. 309 



Gould says that the two species generally known under the names of 

 Sappho* and Phaon] arc par excellence the most gorgeous of birds in ex- 

 istence, so far as regards the coloring of their tails; and well do these 

 living meteors deserve the more general name of Comets? The tail of 

 these birds is greatly lengthened, and, when spread is forked, as shown 

 in Fig. 4, PI. xxi. The upper surface of these feathers is burnished to 

 a degree scarcely to be equaled by any art, and glows with a refulgence 

 not surpassed by any gem, the glorious color heightened by contrast 

 with the bold and sharply defined velvety black tip to each feather. In 

 the Sappho Comet (8. sparganura) the red color of the tail and rump is 

 of an orange-red or scarlet hue, while in the Phaon Comet (S. phaon) 

 the color is the loveliest crimson or purple-red. 



Allied to the Comet Hummers are the Sylph Humming Birds (genus 

 Gyanolesbia), the tails of which are of similar form, but gloriously blue 

 and green, shaded with violet, in one species, splendid green in another, 

 and with black centers instead of tips. (See PI. xxii, Fig. 4.) They 

 inhabit the mountaius of northern and western South America. 



So far as the coloration of the head alone is concerned, no other Hum- 

 ming Bird equals the Ruby and Topaz (Chrysolampis moschitus). "It is 

 a species," says Mr. Gould, "which plays no inconsiderable part as an 

 article ot trade; for it is the one par excellence of which thousands 

 are annually sent to Europe for the purpose of contributing to the 

 decorations of the drawing-rooms of the wealthy, for the manufacture 

 of artificial flowers, etc.; and well suited is it for such purposes, its rich 

 ruby and topazlike coloring rendering it one of the most conspicuous 

 and beautiful objects imaginable. 



One of the most beautiful of Mexican Humming Birds is De Rham's 

 Garnet (Lamprolaima rhami). It is a large species, some 4i inches long; 

 green above; throat, metallic solferino or garnet ; breast, rich metallic 

 violet blue, the tail, which is very broad and slightly forked, being of 

 a violet-black hue. 



Scarcely less beautiful and considerably exceeding it in size is De 

 Lattre r s Sabre-wing (Gampylopterus hemileucurns), a species which ex- 

 tends from northern Mexico nearly to the Isthmus of Panama. It is of 

 a uniform rich metallic violet-blue color ; rump, green ; and the tail, 

 white and black in nearly equal proportion. The remarkable structure 

 of the wing of this species, which is about the same as in the genus 

 8phenoproctus, is shown in Fig. 22, on page 299, which represents that 

 of S.pampa. A South American congener of this species is the Splen- 

 did Sabre- wing (G. villavicencio), which has the crown glittering golden- 

 green changing to coppery-red ; the throat and breast, glittering blue; 

 and the other portions chiefly dark green. 



Undoubtedly the most brilliant of Central American Humming Birds 

 is that curiously local species which is confined to the higher slopes 



* Sappho sparganura (Shaw). t Sappho phaon (Gould). 



