Page:Ornithological biography, or an account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America, vol 2.djvu/517

Rh it is possible that not only this, but several other species of Humming Birds, may yet be discovered as inhabitants of our southern country.

"I have not seen the splendid engravings of this genus by Messrs and, in which the Trochilus Mango is said to be figured ; but from the description contained in Latham's Synopsis and Shaw's Zoology, I have no hesitation in pronouncing it an individual of this species."

The female figures introduced in the plate were taken from a speci- men procured at Charleston ; but whether it had been found in the United States or not, could not be ascertained.

Trochilus Mango, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 101 Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 307. Mango Humming Bird, Lath. Synops. vol. ii. p. 758.

Adult Male. Plate CLXXXIV. Fig. 1, 2, 3.

Bill long, subulate, depressed at the base, slightly arched, flexible ; upper mandible with the back broad and convex, the sides sloping, the edges soft ; lower mandible with the angle extremely acute, forming a groove for one-half of its length, the remaining part narrower on the back, the sides erect ; both mandibles deeply channelled internally, nos- trils basal, lateral, linear. Head small, neck short, body short, moderate- ly robust. Feet very short and feeble ; tarsus very short, roundish ; toes very small, the three anterior united at the base, scutellate above, compressed, differing little in length ; claAvs small, arched, compressed, acute.

Plumage soft and blended. Wings long, extremely narrow, falciform, the first quill longest, the other primaries gradually diminishing in length; the secondaries extremely short, narrow, and rounded. Tail ample, ra- ther long, of ten broad rounded feathers, the outer incurvate.

Bill black. Iris brown. Feet dusky. Head, hind-neck and back splendent with bronze, golden, and green reflections ; wings dusky, viewed in certain lights deep purplish-brown. Middle tail-feathers black, glossed with green and blue, the rest deep crimson-purple, tipped and partially margined with steel-blue. Fore part of the neck, and middle of the breast, velvet-black, margined on each side with emerald-green, the sides yellowish-green.

liength 4| inches, extent of wings 8; bill 1 ; tarsus W-