THE HUMMING BIRDS. 313 



rufus), Allen's Humming Bird (S. alleni), and Calliope Humming Bird 

 (Stellula calliope). Of the remainder six are Mexican species, barely 

 crossing our border, as follows : Kivoli Humming Bird (Eugenes fulg ens), 

 Blue-tbroated Humming Bird (Cceligena clemencies), Lncifer Humming 

 Bird (Galothorax lucifer), Rieffer's Humming Bird (Amazilia fuscicau- 

 data),* Buff-bellied Humming Bird (A. cerviniventris), and Circe Hum- 

 ming Bird (Iache latirostris). One species, Costa's Humming Bird (Ga- 

 lypte costai), is common to southern California, Lower California, and 

 western Mexico; another, Xautus's Humming Bird (Basilinna xantusi), 

 is peculiar to Lower California, and therefore not belonging to the United 

 States as politically bounded. The two remaining species are of uncer- 

 tain range, one of them, the Violet-throated Humming Bird (Trochilus 

 violajugiilum), being known from a single specimen obtained in southern 

 California, and the other, Floresi's Humming Bird (Selasphorus floresii), 

 having been obtained at two widely separated points, Bolanos, Mexico, 

 and San Francisco, California, and only one specimen at each place. 

 The species first mentioned above is the only one that belongs to the 

 extensive region east of the Rocky Mountains, even semi-tropical Flor- 

 ida having hitherto failed to produce a single additional species, even 

 as a straggler or accidental wanderer from more southern lands. It is 

 true that Mr. Audubon described and figured in his great work a species 

 which he called the Mango Humming Bird (Trochilus mango), from a 

 specimen given him by Dr. Bachmau, said to have been captured at Key 

 West, Florida; but the speciest proves to be not even a West Indian one, 

 but belongs to Brazil and other parts of South America, and possibly 

 was not found at Key West, as alleged. Another South American Hum- 

 mer, the Tobago Humming Bird (Agyrtria iobaci) has been recorded as 

 North American on the strength of the alleged capture of a specimen at 

 Cambridge, Massachusetts; but, while the identification is correct, 

 there is circumstantial evidence that the specimen was accidentally or 

 carelessly substituted for an example of the common Ruby-throat in the 

 shop of the taxdermist who mounted it. 



Of the seventeen kinds of Humming Birds which occur within the 

 limits of the United States decidedly the finest species is that known 

 as the Rivoli Humming Bird (Eugenes fulg ens), a bird of the Mexican 

 table-lands, but occurring also in southern Arizona. This fine hummer 

 is nearly 6 inches in length, being with one exception! much the largest 

 in our list. The male has the top of the head rich metallic violet, the 

 throat brilliant emerald-green, contrasted very abruptly with the deep 



*This species occurs throughout Ceutral America, from uortheastern Mexico south- 

 ward, aud also in northwestern South America as far as Ecuador. 



tThe specimen in question is now in the National Museum collection, having heen 

 given to Professor Baird by Mr. Audubon. It is not an example of the true Mango 

 Humming Bird (Lampornis mango), which is a Jamaican species, but belongs to the 

 species known as L. violicauda (Bodd.). 



tThe Blue-throated Humming Bird (Cceligena clemeneice), inhabiting the same 

 region, is about the same size. 



