TROCHILIDiG. 325 



ward, as far as the table-land of Mexico, near Real del Monte ; specimens from 

 that part having been obligingly sent us for examination by our friend, Mr. 

 Taylor, and which are now in the magnificent collection of Mr. Loddiges. — Sw. 



DESCRIPTION 

 Of a full-plumaged male, in Mr. Swainson's museum. 



Colour. — General tint of the upper plumage, rufous or cinnamon*, which covers the 

 head, ears, neck, back, rump, upper tail covers, and margins of the tail feathers; the crown 

 and the wing covers, however, have a strong coppery-greenish gloss ; but which does not 

 extend to the ears, the upper line above the eye, or to that between the eye and bill ; the 

 greater and lesser quills, and the middle of the tail feathers with their tips, are all of a pale 

 dusky brown, slightly glossed with violet. Under plumage : the whole of the chin and throat 

 is covered by scale-like feathers, of a fire-like colour and lustre, equally brilliant with the 

 throat of T. moschitus, but with more of a red and less of an orange gloss ; the tints, however, 

 change in almost every direction of light, and in all are exquisitely splendid. The middle of 

 the breast and vent are nearly pure white ; but all the sides and the under tail covers are of 

 the same colour as the back. Legs and feet dark-brown. — The female, as described by Dr. 

 Latham, chiefly differs in being green-gold, where the male is cinnamon ; the throat being 

 merely spotted with the glowing ruby colour of the male. 



Form. — Bill remarkably straight for its entire length, and gibbous both above and beneath 

 towards the tip. The wings, in comparison with those of many other forms in this family, 

 are short and resemble those of T. colubris : the primaries are narrow and pointed, and the 

 first is shorter than the second. The tail, although short, is more cuneated than rounded, 

 the two middle pairs being longest: all are narrowed and obtusely pointed at their extremities, 

 but the two outer pairs are particularly narrow. The feathers on the sides of the throat are 

 gradually elongated, as they recede from the ears and seem capable of being raised into two 

 tufts. 



Dimensions. 







Inch. Lin. 



Inch. Lin. 





Inch. 



Lin. 



Igt 



b, total 



. 2 10 



Length of tail from vent . 1 



Length of bill above . 



. 



7J 



w 



of wing 



1 7 



„ of tail beyond wings 3f 



,, of bill to rictus . 







8! 



— Sw. 



* Dull reddish-orange. — Syme. 



