The phaon comet is considerably larger, but very similar to the former,
except that the whole of its tail is of a crimson-red.
The blue-tailed sylph has a wide range along the temperate regions of
the Cordilleras. The genus of sylph to which it belongs is among the
most beautiful and graceful in form of the humming-birds. The body is
of a bronzed green, and the crown of the head of a metallic golden
green; while the throat is adorned with a gorget of the most intense
purple-blue. It has a superb tail, the two central feathers of which
are of a shining metallic green; the two next are black at their base,
and rich blue towards their extremities, tipped and edged with bright
metallic green, shot with blue.
But we have not space to describe one-tenth part of those wonderful,
bright, and small specimens of the feathered tribe which inhabit the
mountains for their entire length. Darwin found one of the species--the
Trochilus forficatus--flying about amid the snow-storms in the forests
of Tierra del Fuego; while in the wooded island of Chiloe, which has an
extremely humid climate, he saw it skipping from side to side amid the
dripping foliage.
In the same island is found another species, the Trochilus gigas--a very
large bird for so delicate a family. When on the wing, it moves from
place to place with the most rapid flight; but whilst hovering over a
flower, it flaps its wings with a very slow and powerful movement,
totally different from that of the vibratory one common to most of the
species which produces the humming noise. When hovering by a flower,
its tail is constantly opened and shut like a fan, the body being in a
nearly vertical position. This action appears to steady and support the
bird between the slow movements of its wings. It feeds chiefly on
insects. The note of this species, like that of nearly the whole
family, is extremely shrill.
In Bolivia are found the Bolivian violet-ear, Warren's wood-star, and
many others; but we must bring our description of the humming-birds of
this region to a conclusion.