Tim Kmeuall) Hujiming-bikd. BIRDS. The Giant liu.MMi.NG-mKi). 309 
DB LAIANDE’S CRESTED HUMMING-BIRD ( Trochilus 
Delalandi) — Plate 8, fig. 26 — is an inhabitant of the 
southern part of Brazil. It is about the same size as 
the preceding species, but the male is remarkable for 
possessing a long crest, terminating in a single slender 
plume, upon the head. The tvhole crown of the head, 
including the crest, is of a brilliant metallic green colour, 
but the long single feather terminating the crest is 
black. The upper surface is bronzed green ; the breast 
and abdomen are of an intense shining violet-blue 
colour ; the sides of the neck, the flanks, and under 
tail-coverts are brownish-grey ; the quill feathers of 
the wings purplish-brown, and those of the tail black, 
except the middle ones, which are green. The female 
has the whole lower surface dull greyish-brown, and 
is destitute of the elongated crest. The nest of this 
species is suspended from the fine twigs of bamboos, 
and probably of other plants ; it is composed of fine 
fibrous roots, moss, and lichens, together with the in- 
volucres of a composite plant, matted together with 
fine cobwebs. Several nearly allied species with simi- 
lar crests are described by Mr. Gould, who forms them 
into a genus under the name of Ceplialepis ; they are 
called by him in English Plover-crests, from the simi- 
larity of the crest to that of the plover. 
THE LONG -TAILED EMERALD HUMMING-BIRD 
{Trochilus polytmus) appears to be peculiar to the 
island of Jamaica, amongst the many brilliant-feathered 
inhabitants of which it is regarded by Mr. Gosse as 
the most beautiful. The general colour of the plumage 
of the male is a fine metallic green, most brilliant on 
the breast and abdomen ; the whole top of the head is 
deep black, as is also the tail ; the quill feathers of the 
wings and the under tail-coverts are purplish-black ; 
and the bill is coral-red with a black tip. The length 
of the bird, from the tip of the bill to that of the ordi- 
nary tail feathers, is five inches ; but beyond this two of 
the feathers of the tail are prolonged for a distance of 
nearly six inches, forming long streamers, which float 
behind the bird in its rapid flight. The female is des- 
tittite of these elongated feathers, and has the lower 
siirface white. Of the beautiful appearance of this 
bird in its native haunts, Mr. Gosse has given us the 
following eloquent description ; — “ The beautiful Long- 
tailed Humming-bird,” he says, “ came shooting by 
with its two long violet-black feathers floating like 
streamers behind it, and began to suck at the blossoms 
of the tree in which I was. Quite regardless of my 
presence, consciously secure in its power of wing, the 
lovely little gem hovered around the trunk, and threaded 
the branches, now probing here and there, its cloudy 
wings on each side vibrating with a noise like that of a 
spinning-wheel, and its emerald breast for a moment 
flashing brilliantly in the sun’s ray ; then apparently 
black, all the light being absorbed ; then, as it slightly 
turned, becoming a dark olive ; then, in an instant, 
blazing forth again in emerald effulgence. Several 
times it came close to me, as I sat motionless with 
delight, and holding my breath for fear of alarming it 
and driving it away ; it seemed almost worth a voyage 
across the sea to behold so radiant a creature in all the 
wildness of its native freedom.” 
THE TUFTED COQUETTE {Lophornis ornatus). The 
male of this beautiful little species is adorned on each 
side of the neck with a tuft of long, narrow plumes, 
of a light chestnut-red colour, each terminated by a 
brilliant spot of emerald green ; these plumes form a 
triangular ruff on each side of the neck. The crown 
of the head bears a rich chesi nut-red crest, and the 
face and throat are emerald green. This species is 
widely distributed over the low districts of tropical 
America. 
GOULD’S COQUETTE {Lophornis Gouldii), a nearly 
allied but rare species, has the neck tufts pure white, 
with emerald green tips to the feathers. There are 
several other species of the genus Lophornis, but to 
these our space forbids'‘our alluding. 
THE RUBY AND TOPAZ HUMMING-BIRD {Chry- 
solampis moschitus), one of the commonest species of 
the group of Humming-birds, specimens of which are 
imported into Europe by thousands, is found abundantly 
in Brazil and Guiana. Common as it is, however, the 
male is an exceedingly beautiful bird, the whole top of 
his head being of a brilliant ruby-red, and the chin, 
throat, and breast golden or topaz yellow ; the rest of 
the plumage exhibits different shades of brown, and the 
tail is of a rich dark chestnut-red. The nest is cup- 
shaped, composed of cottony materials, and adorned 
with fragments of lichens on the outside. 
THE GIANT HUMMING-BIRD {Patagona gigas), the 
largest species of this family, measures between eight 
and nine inches in length ; but as the tail is compara- 
tively short, its bulk is far greater than that of some 
other species which approach it in total length, but in 
which the tail feathers are much elongated. It is of a 
pale brown colour with a greenish gloss above, and 
reddish beneath ; the wings, which are very long, reach- 
ing nearly to the extremity of the tail, are blackish- 
brown. This species migrates to the southward from 
the equatorial regions of South America, where it has 
been met with at an elevation of from twelve to four- 
teen thousand feet, and passes along the chain of the 
Andes through Chili into the country of the Araucanos. 
Its flight is extremely bold and vigorous, as might be 
expected from the length and form of its wings, which 
resemble those of the Swift ; but it is nevertheless 
able to flit with ease from flower to flower, and tq poise 
itself in the air while examining their recesses for 
its insect food. The nest is cup-shaped, rather large, 
and constructed of mosses, lichens, and other similar 
materials, held together, as usual in the Humming-birds, 
by cobwebs ; it is placed on the forked branch of a tree 
or shrub, generally overhanging a rapid stream of water. 
THE GLOWING PUFF-LEG {Eriocnemis vestilus). The 
names of Puff-leg and Eriocnemis have been given 
to a genus of Humming-birds in which the legs are sur- 
rounded by a tuft of delicate small plumes, which are 
usually of a white colour. Of the present species Mr. 
Gould says, “ It is unquestionably one of the finest 
species of its genus, and one of the most resplendent 
of the Trochilidos.” It is a native of Columbia, where 
it is found abundantly in the vicinity of Bogota. The 
general colour of the plumage in the male is bronzed 
green, varying in tint on different parts of the body ; 
the lower part of the back, and the upper tail-coverts, 
which are largely developed, are of the most brilliant 
