RUBY-CRESTED HUMMING-BIRD. 



331 



soure: the body and coverts of the wings are of an 

 obscure brownish olive-colour, the quills a little in- 

 clining to purple : in the tail I could count only 

 eight feathers, which are of a cinnamon-colour 

 with black tips: the lower belly and coverts be- 

 neath the tail are of the same colour above and 

 beneath : a white line passes across the middle of 

 the belly : the bright spot on the throat is divided 

 from the neck and breast by a dusky line: the legs 

 and feet are black.*' Native of Guiana and other 

 parts of South- America. 



Monsr. Audebert, in his splendid work on this 

 genus, is of opinion that the above Humming- 

 Bird of Edwards is no other than a variety of the 

 Trochilus moschitus, differing in being a trifle 

 smaller, somewhat less intense in point of colour, 

 and in having the crest unusually conspicuous and 

 elevated, which appearance may have easily taken 

 place from a contraction of the back parts of the 

 skin and muscles of the head in a dried specimen. 



The two following Humming-Birds, hitherto 

 considered as distinct species, are by Mr. Viellot 

 suspected to be no other than the young of the 

 Trochilus moschitus in different stages of their 

 plumage. 



