316 REPOET OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1890. 



KEY TO THE GENERA OF HUMMING BIROS OCCURRING IN THE UNITED STATES, 

 MEXICO, CUBA, AND THE BAHAMAS. 



a'. Anterior toes united for ba9al half; bill much, compressed (except at base), about 

 two-thirds as long as wing, decidedly arched ; tail graduated, the middle pair of 

 feathers much longer than the others, all tipped with white or buff; plumage very 

 dull, almost devoid of metallic colors. (Subfamily 1'haethornithince) . . Phaethornis.* 

 a 2 . Anterior toes all cleft to the base ; bill never much compressed (usually broader 

 than deep), less than two-thirds as long as the wing (except in Calothorax and 

 some species of Doricha), usually nearly straight (distinctly curved only in 

 Campylopterus, Lampornis, Calothorax, and some species of Doricha) ; tail variable 

 inform, but if graduated the middle pair of feathers neither elongated nor white 

 tipped. (Subfamily Trochilince.) 



6 1 . Inner webs of two outer tail-feathers white, except at end EupherusaA 



b 2 . Inner webs of two outer tail-feathers without white, except sometimes at tip. 

 c 1 . Exposed culmen not more than 45; tail even, two-thirds as long as wing, the 



latter 1.75-2.00c Abeillia.t 



c 2 . Exposed culmen decidedly more than .45. 

 d l . Tail nearly as long as wing, wedge-shaped, with feathers broad and 

 rounded at tips; shafts of three outer quills much (sometimes enormously) 

 thickened ; wing about 2.60 Sphenoproctus.§ 



d 2 . Tail much shorter than wing; if wedge-shaped, the feathers narrow and 

 pointed at ends. 

 e l . Exposed culmen less than one-fourth as long as wing ; quills and second- 

 aries rufous, with darker tips or terminal margins Lamprolaima.\\ 



a 2 . Exposed culmen more than one-fourth as long as wing. 

 /'. Exposed culmen one-half as long as wing, or longer. 



g l . Wing 2.20 or more ; tail rounded, the feathers broad ; bill long, 

 stout, and straight, nearly as long as tail ; outer tail-feathers tipped 



with white in both sexes Floricola.'H 



q 2 . Wing less than 2.00 (1.30-1.70) ; tail forked in males, double-rounded 

 in females; bill slender, curved (except in two or three species of 

 Doricha) ; outer tail-feathers tipped with white only in females. 

 h 1 . Tail shorter than wing or exposed culmen, the feathers pointed in 



adult males Calothorax. 



(P. 358.) 



h 2 . Tail longer than wing, or else longer than exposed culmen, the 



feathers not pointed in either sex Doricha.* 



* Phaethornis Swains., Zool. Jour. 1827, 357. Type Trochilus superciliosus Linn. 

 (Two species from southern Mexico southward, and numerous species in South 

 America. ) 



t Eupherusa Gould, Mon. Troch. pt. xiv. 1857. Type, Ornismya eximia Delattr. 

 (One species in southern Mexico, another in Guatemala, a third in Costa Rica and 

 Veragua. ) 



1 Abeillia Bonap., Consp. I, 1850, 79. Type, Ornismya dbeillei Delattr. (One spe- 

 cies in southern Mexico and Central America.) 



§ Sphenoproctus Cab. and Hein. , Mus. Hein. m. 18G0, 11. Type, Ornismya pampa 

 Less. (One species in southern Mexico, another in Guatemala.) 



|| Lamprolaima Reich., Aufz. der Colib. 1853, 9. Type Ornismya rhami Less. (One 

 species in highlands of Mexico and Guatemala. The male has the throat purplish 

 red, the other under parts rich purplish blue. 



^Floricola Elliot, Class, and Synop. Troch., Sept. 1878, 82. Type, Trochilus lonyi- 

 rostris VlElLL. (Two species inhabiting pine forests of Mexican highlands, another 

 in Guatemala, two or three others in mountains of northern South America.) 



