J 38 
U. S. P. R. R> EXP. AND SURVEYS-ZOOLOGY—GENERAL REPORT. 
darker centres. The tail feathers are black in their middle portion and tipped with white, 
this decreasing until there is none in the median ones. 
Two males, apparently not quite mature, (3942, 6050,) have the ruff shorter; the scale 
feathers dimmer and more of an orange red. They are also rather smaller than the others. 
Sometimes the metallic scales encroach on the sides of the head, so as apparently to cover 
them. There is, however, always a narrow plain line behind the eye. The ruff varies consid¬ 
erably in length with the specimen. There is no trace of cinnamon or rufous on any of the 
feathers in either sex. 
The only North American species to which the male of this bird hears any resemblance is the 
A. costae, which has the same metallic crown and other generic features. The latter, however, 
is much smaller ; has the metallic reflections varied chiefly violet, instead of nearly uniform 
purplish red. The tail is much less deeply forked, the depth being only about 0.10 of an inch, 
instead of 0.32 ; the outer feather is much narrower. The females of the two, however, appear 
to he distinguishable only by their relative size. The absence of rufous and the rounded, not 
graduated, tail always separates the female of anna from that of S. rufus. The larger size is the 
chief distinction from the female A. costae , while the size and less acutely pointed outer tail 
feathers distinguish it from the female T. colubris. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sex and 
age. 
Locality. 
When collected. 
Whence obtained. 
Orign’i 
No. 
Collected by— 
5501 
s 
Petaluma, California_..._ 
E. Samuels___ 
282 
6051 
s 
San Francisco_ 
Winter of '53 -’54 
R. D Cutts_ 
6052 
o 8 
_do_ 
_do_ 
6054 
Q 
_do_ 
_...do_ 
_. .do_........ 
6050 
J 
Cosumnes river, California_ 
Lt. Williamson_ 
Dr. Heermann_, 
3942 
Fort Tejon, California_ 
1857 
John Xantus de Vcsey 
ATTHIS COSTAE, Reich enbach. 
Ornismyacostae, Boorcier, Rev. Zool. Oct. 1839, 294. (Lower California.)— Ib. Ann. Sc. Phys. et d’Hist. Nat. 
de Lyon, 1840,225; tab. ii.— Prevost & Des Mors, Voyage de la Venus, Zool, 1,1855,194. 
Atlas, tab. ii, f. 1,2. 
Selasphorus costae, Bon. Conspectus Avium, I, 1850, 82. 
Jllthis costae, Reiciienbach, Cab. Jour, fur Orn. Extraheft, 1853, 1854. 
Catypte costae, Gould, Mon. Humming Birds. 
Sp. Ch.—T ail very slightly emarginated and rounded ; exterior feather very narrow, and linear. A very long ruff on each 
side of the throat. Head above and below, with the ruff, covered with metallic red, purple, violet, and steel green. Remaining 
upper parts and sides of the body green. Throat under and between the ruffs, side of head behind the eye, anal region and 
under tail coverts whitish. Female with the tail rounded, scarcely emarginate ; barred with black, and tipped with white 
The metallic colors of the head wanting. 
Length, 3.20 inches; wing, 1.75; tail, 1.10; bill, .68. 
Hah .—Southern California and Colorado Basin, (Monterey, Neboux.) 
Of this beautiful humming bird only a single pair has hitherto been collected by any of the 
expeditions, and these are not sufficiently perfect to furnish a satisfactory description. The size 
i3 about that of the common ruby-throated humming bird. The bill is, however, longer and 
more slender every way. The wings are falcate ; the first quill especially curved, although its 
outlines are parallel to near the tip, which is not acuminate. In the male the tail is slightly 
