BIRDS—TROCHILIDAE—ATTHIS ANNA. 
137 
absence of attenuated tips to the primaries, and in the presence of metallic scales on the whole 
top of the head similar in texture and color to those on the throat. The two North American 
species are quite similar, though dilferent in size. The characters are as follows: 
Green above and on the sides beneath, as well as on the middle of under tail coverts. 
Large. Metallic scales of the head uniform purplish red. Tail quite deeply forked, outer 
feather about half as wide as the inner. A. anna. 
Smallest North American species. Metallic scales of the head purplish violet, with steel 
reflections. Tail emarginated only. Outer feather about one-fourth as wide as the 
middle.... A. costae. 
ATTHIS ANNA, Reichenbach. 
Anna Humming Bird. 
Ornismya anna, Lesson, Oiseaux Moucbes, 1830, (?) pi. cxxiv. 
Trochilus anna, Jardine, Nat. Lib. Humming Birds, I, 93 ; pi. vi.— Aud. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 428 ; pi. 428.— Ib. 
Birds America, IV, 1842, 188 ; pi. 252. 
Calliphlox anna, Gambel, Pr. A. N. Sc. Phil. Ill, 1846, 3.— Ib. Journ. 2d ser I, 1847, 32. 
Trochilus ( Jlttltis) anna, Reichenbach, Cab. Jour. Extraheft for 1853, 1854, app. 12. 
Trochilus icterocephalus, Nuttall, Manual, I, 2d ed., 1840, 712. (Male with forehead covered with yellow pollen.) 
Sp. Ch. —Tail deeply forked ; external feather narrow, linear. Top of the head, throat, and a moderate ruff metallic red, 
with purple reflections. Rest of upper parts and a band across the breast green. Tail feathers purplish brown, darkest 
centrally. In the female the tail is slightly rounded, not emarginate ; the scales of the head and throat are wanting. Tail 
barred with black, and tipped with white. 
Length, about 3.60 inches ; wing, 2.00 ; tail, 1.45. 
Hab .—Coast region of California. 
This species is considerably larger than the ruby-throated humming bird, hut the bill is of 
much the same shape. The wings are long and considerably falcated ; the first primary much 
the most so ; its sides are nearly parallel to the end, which is rounded or obtusely pointed. 
The tail in the male is decidedly forked. The second feather is a little longer than the 
first, and is about 0.16 of an inch longer than the third, and about 0.32 longer than the fourth. 
The fifth feather (resembling an upper tail covert) is a little longer than the fourth, (by about 
0.03.) The exterior feather is narrow and linear to the end, which is rounded ; it is about 0.12 
of an inch wide. The next feather is one-half wider ; the others increasing still more. The 
feathers are all rather blunt at the end, or obtusely acute, with the point rounded. 
In the female the tail feathers are all broader, the outer one especially, although still with 
parallel sides ; the tail itself is slightly rounded, all the feathers being of nearly the same 
length, except the lateral, which is about 0.10 of an inch shorter. 
In this species the top of the head, the chin, and throat, with a conspicuous, though obtuse, 
ruff on each side of the throat, (about 0.40 of an inch long,) are of a rich purplish red, with an 
occasional violaceous shade, and on some scales of the top of the head and in the ruff, with steel 
blue reflections. The remaining upper parts, except the wings, are metallic green, glossed 
with gold. The under parts are similar, except that the color is not so continuous, much more 
so, however, than in the other American species ; even the centres of the under tail coverts are 
green. The lower part of the throat just behind the collar is dirty whitish. The wings and 
tail feathers are purplish brown ; the latter darkest centrally, with an occasional gloss of green. 
The central feather on either side is golden green, like the back. 
The female is entirely metallic green above, with a tinge of dull brownish grey on the head. 
Beneath spotted with green, except on the throat, which is brownish white ; the feathers with 
18 b 
