The species of this form are characterized by the great brilliancy of the gorgets of the males. The females are destitute of these fine colours. The rounded or cuneate form of the tail in these birds at once separates them from the members of the last-mentioned genus.
Selasphorus rufus
Habitat: Mexico. In summer it also occurs in California, and even as far north as Nootka Sound, and sometimes at Sitka.
Plate 137
Selasphorus rufus
Rufous Flame-bearer
Refer to the account of this species for my remarks respecting its not being identical with the Trochilus ruber of Linnæus; and also to a very interesting paper in the ‘Natural History of Washington-territory,’ by Drs. Cooper and Suckley.
Selasphorus Scintilla (Gould)
Habitat: The inner sides of the volcanic mountain Chiriqui in Costa Rica.
Plate 138
Selasphorus Scintilla
Little Flame-bearer
Selasphorus Floresii
Habitat: Bolanos in Central Mexico
Plate 139
Selasphorus Floresii
Floresi’s Flamebearer
Selasphorus platycercus
Habitat: Guatemala, Mexico, and, according to Dr. Baird, “through Rocky Mountains to Fort Bridger, Utah.”
Plate 140
Selasphorus platycercus
Broad-tailed Flame-bearer
I have observed that specimens from Guatemala are much smaller than those from the table lands of Mexico. M. Boucard found this bird at Oaxaca in Southern Mexico, and Mr. Salvin at Dueñas in Guatemala.
Featuring all 422 illustrated species from John Gould’s A Monograph of the Trochilidæ, or Family of Humming-Birds arranged by color.
Humming-Birds
