ORNITHOLOGY. 



The species of Humming-Bird now before us is one of tli^ 

 larger kinds, its length being about six inches from the tip of the 

 bill to the extremity of the tail, exclusive of the two elongated 

 feathers which extend beyond the true tail about two inches ; the 

 bill is long, slender, and slightly incurvated, and of a whitish colour 

 with the tip black. The most characteristic peculiarity is the large 

 space of topazine or golden green immediately beneath the chin, 

 and which expands over the whole surface of the throat. The head 

 is blackish purple, and the same colour descending along the sides 

 of the neck passes in a kind of crescent round the breast, thus con- 

 stituting an abrupt separation between the vivid green space of the 

 chin and throat, and the vivid lustre of the abdomen, which is a fine 

 crimson or ruby colour from the breast nearly to the vent, where it 

 becomes interspersed with a few white feathers ; the feathers of the 

 thigh are white also. The back and wing coverts are brown with 

 tints and shades of greenish, and glosses of a golden yellow. The 

 greater quill feathers are fuscous, the tail coverts are fine green ; 

 the tail orange, except the two remarkable elongated candal 

 feathers, which are black. The legs pale. 



Notwithstanding the very decisive character which this species 

 of Humming-Bird displays, and which considered individually can 

 leave us little reason to distrust its identity as a species, we are not 

 to overlook the very near approximation of this kind with some 

 others that are described as specifically different, such as the Sapphire 

 Humming-Bird, and that distinguished by the appellation of the 

 Sapphire and Emerald Humming-Bird. The near approach of 

 these and some others to the species now before us appears to be 

 sufficiently obvious to induce a persuasion that in a less mature state 



