DOUBLE-CRESTED HUMMING-BIRD. 167 
huppes pouissent de l’eelat le plus extraordinaire; 
elles etincellent avec le brillant de l’or et celui de cuivre 
rouge : le reflets du rubis et ceux de l’emcraudes, le 
rouge de feu, le vert le plus pur, le jaune le plus ecla- 
tant, chatoient de maniere a eblouir les yeux, et sur- 
passer la description qu’on chereherait a faire de ces 
teintes si fugitives et si belles.” 
The colours of these tufts, or horns, certainly baffle 
description, and an idea can only be conveyed by 
likening them to some familiar object, such as the 
bright and changing hues of steel, and other metals, 
or the sparkling tints of precious stones. The centre 
of the forehead between the tuft is covered with scaly 
feathers, of a brilliant green and blue reflections. A 
gorget of deep and rich purple composed of lengthened 
feathers, reaches from behind the eyes upon the breast ; 
the breast and upper part of the belly is of the purest 
white ; the same colour crosses the lower sides of the 
neck, nearly meeting on the back, and forms a beauti- 
ful contrast to the deep-coloured and delicately formed 
feathers of the gorget. The belly and vent are of the 
same green with the upper parts ; the wings are 
brown ; the tail is strongly wedge-shaped ; the two 
centre feathers brown ; the others pure white. 
