96 
langsdorff’s humming-bird. 
Beneath this is a crescent-formed band of bright 
orange, in some lights approaching to crimson, and 
which has much the appearance of a similarly co- 
loured band frequent in the African Cyniridse. 
This is relieved by the deep brownish violet of the 
helly, which again contrasts wdth the pure white of 
the vent and under tail-coverts, and completes a 
series of five distinct colours on the under surface of 
this beautiful little bird. The white of the vent is 
continued over the rump in a very nan'ow band, and 
there contrasts beautifully with the deep green. 
The tail, we have said, is deeply forked; it con- 
sists of ten feathers. The six in the centre are 
deep blue, the two on each side, which run to the 
fine points, are nearly white. 
In the young the tail does not assume a forked or 
lengthened appearance ; but, like the birds which have 
been figured in the preceding plates, it is of a round- 
ed form. The throat is nearly black, but the space 
occupied by the brilliant green patch is defined by 
a plumage of a greenish white, and little trace of 
the lower orange band is seen. The upper parts are 
of a duller green, and the tall is deep bluish black, 
having the tips of the outer feathers white. 
LangsdorlT s Humming-Bird is a native of Brazil ; 
the female has not yet been described, and I be- 
lieve specimens are yet unknown in Europe. 
