Genus Tryphæna

Generic characters.

Male.— Bill as long as the head, and straight; wings very small; primaries narrow; tail deeply forked, the outer feather narrow, tapering at the tip and incurved; feet small, claws short and hooked; gorget richly coloured but not luminous; tail ornamented.

Female.—Unadorned; tail extremely short.

The single species of this genus stands quite alone in the great family of Humming-Birds. The peculiar and beautiful markings of its tail are most remarkable; the colouring of the throat-mark is equally distinct. It must be remembered that these features are confimed to the male, the female being very plainly attired, and having a very diminutive tail. Guatemala may well be proud of this singular bird, rich as her fauna really is.

• 177.

  Tryphæna Duponti

  Habitat: Guatemala

  Plate 158 Tryphæna Duponti Sparkling-tail

  “Following the course of the river of San Gerénimo up its bed to about half a league from the village, you come upon a small patch of forest with here and there open spots covered with Salviæ. Here it was that this bird was shot, by a boy, who told me there were plenty; however, on visiting the place soon after, I was not successful in obtaining more specimens, nor was I fortunate enough to see one.”—Salvin in Ibis, vol. ii. p. 266.

  • Trochilus Duponti, Jard. Nat. Lib. Humming-Birds, vol. i. p. 131, pl. 26.
  • Cynanthus Dupont, Id. ib. vol. i. p. 145.
  • Trochilus lepidus, Licht. in Mus. Berol.
  • Tilmatura lepida, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. p.8; Id. Troch. Enum. p. 5, pl. 711. figs. 4610, 4611.
  • Thaumastura duponti, Bonap. in Rey. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 257.
  • Thaumastura Duponti, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 55, note.