THE HUMMING BIRDS. 355 



Range. — Mountain districts of western United States, north to Brit- 

 ish Columbia, east to Montana, Utah, New Mexico, etc., and south over 

 table-lands of Mexico; breeding south as far as San Bernardino Moun- 

 tains, in California, and mountains of northern New Mexico. 



Sp. Char. — Adult male with the narrow and very distinctly outlined 

 feathers of the gorget pure white basally, metallic reddish purple ter- 

 minally; middle tail feathers somewhat spatulate, purplish black, edged 

 with rufous toward base and broadly tipped with dull brownish gray ; 

 remaining rectrices similar but withont distinct grayish tips and rufous 

 basal edgings less distinct or even obsolete; under parts white, the 

 sides and flanks metallic green mixed or washed with pale rusty ; 

 length (before skinning) about 3.10-3.30, wing 1.50-1.60, tail 0.80-1.10, 

 exposed culmen 0.55-0.58. Adult female metallic bronze-green above, 

 including the slightly spatulate middle tail-feathers; three outer tail- 

 feathers broadly tipped with white, extensively black subtermiually, 

 the basal portion dull greenish, becoming buffy or pale rusty at extreme 

 base; under parts white, the sides, flanks and under tail-coverts pale 

 rusty or cinnamon-buff, the throat more or less spotted with brownish; 

 length about 3.35-3.50, wing 1.75-1.80, tail 0.85-1.15, exposed culmen 

 0.58-0.60. 



Adult male (No. 67201, El Moro, New Mexico, July 29, 1873 ; H. W. 

 Heushaw) : Above metallic bronze-green, becoming duller on forehead; 

 remiges dull brownish slate, very faintly glossed with purplish; middle 

 pair of tail-feathers dull black, broadly edged with rusty basally, and 

 broadly tipped with dusky brownish gray (as if faded) ; rest of rectrices 

 similar but fading gradually at tips into dusky brownish gray, aud 

 rusty basal edgings less distinct — quiie obsolete on outer feather. 

 Gorget with the feathers pure white for basal half or more, the terminal 

 portion metallic solferino-purple ; chest, sides of neck, and under tail- 

 coverts pure white; median line of breast and belly dull white; sides 

 and flanks bronze-green. Bill and feet brownish black.* Length (skin), 

 2.75t; wing, 1.50; tail, 0.80; exposed culmen, 0.58. 



Adult female (No. 91748, Baird, California, May 29, 1883; Chas. H. 

 Townsend) : Above, metallic bronze-green, including middle pair of tail- 

 feathers, which are entirely without rufous, even at extreme base ; tail- 

 feather next to middle pair dark metallic green, both webs edged with 

 rusty toward base, the 'terminal portion of outer web black (for about 

 0.25 of an inch), the corresponding portion of inner web inclining to the 

 same ; next feather with a considerable terminal spot of white, this pre- 

 ceded by a black band more than 0.25 of an inch wide, the remaining 

 portion metallic green, broadly edged toward base with rusty; next 



•According to Dr. J. C. Merrill (The Auk, July, 1888, p. 257), the fresh colors are 

 as follows: "Upper mandible dead black, the lower light flesh color darkening 

 towards the tip, which was black ; the feet dark flesh-color, the hides brown.'' 



t Specimens in the flesh, according to Dr. Merrill, measure in length from 3.10 to 

 3.30 ; a young male shot by me measured 2|f in length. 



