146 
SUPERCIH0U9 HUMMING-BIRD. 
and bent, considerably dilated at the base, and, as in 
all the genus, has the under mandible entering when 
closed within the upper one ; the base of a bright 
orange. The upper plumage of the bird is of a brown 
bronzed green ; two reddish white lines mark the 
cheeks ; the one more in the shape of a spot above the 
eye, the other in a line from the comer of the mouth, 
below the auriculars ; all the lower parts are of a 
brownish white. The tail without the long feathers is 
wedge- shaped, each feather widening towards the tip, 
and then ending in a triangular sharp point ; the long 
feathers keep the breadth of the others for the same 
length, when they suddenly become narrow, and 
form the distinguishing marks of the male. The co- 
lour of the tail is bronzed green, shaded nearly to a 
rich black at the ends, which terminate in a narrow 
border of white ; the projecting ends of the long fea- 
thers are also white. 
The female is more brilliant in colour than the 
male, the upper parts of the same tint are very bril- 
liant ; the white line from the rictus is well marked, 
but that above the eye does not appear ; the lower 
parts are of a deeper shade of brown ; the tail is very 
amply rounded ; the centre feathers longest, but not 
projecting, of a bright green, with white tips ; the 
others bright chestnut-red, shading to black, and fur- 
nished with a tip of white. 
This species is found both in Guiana and BraziL 
