ys LAY 5 4 NS 2.5 ee BOUGHT OF H.SOTHERAN &C = A MONOGRAPH OF THE TROCHILID SA, FAMILY OF HUMMING-BIRDS. BY JOHN GOULD, ERS. COMP DETED ARTE R LH AU MEO RES DEAE BY R. BOWDLER SHARPE, FILS. &c, ZOOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT, BRITISH MUSEUM. SU RR ie vie Nae | LONDON: Jal BNI WSO) WT isle Ik IN & €O., 36- Prep hi ine 1887. [Lhe right of translation is reserved.| a ry RED LION COURT, FLEET STREET. A q A 4 » bya. Lophornis adorabilis. ss pavoninus. Spathura solstitialis. Zodalia ortoni. Sparganura glyceria. Cynanthus bolivianus. Oxypogon cyanolemus. Oreonympha nobilis. Rhamphomicron dorsale. x olivaceum. Metallura heterocerca (=M. primolina). Adelomyia cerving. Agleactis caumatonota. Eriocnemis sapphiropygia. Uranomitra viridifrons. Agyrtria bartletti. a fluviatilis. am taczanowskil. Elvira cupreiceps. Callipharus nigriventris. Eupherusa poliocerca. Amazilia cupreicauda. Timolia lerchi. Panychlors, stenura. eS russata, EUTOXERES HETERURA, Gowa. Keuadorean Sickle-bill. Eutoxeres heterura, Gould, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) i. p. 455 (1868).—Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 8 (1878).—Eudes-Deslongchamps, Annuaire Mus. d’Hist. Nat. Caen, i. p: 73 (1881). Grypus heterura, Gray, Hand-list of Birds, i. p. 1238, no. 1548 (1869). Tus species is not very different from the Colombian Eutoweres aquila, which it replaces in Ecuador; but the stripes on the breast seem to be always of a bright fulvous colour, instead of whitish as in the above- mentioned bird. The following remarks are quoted from my original paper on these birds :—‘‘I have for some time past had reason to believe that the Humming-birds of this highly singular form comprised more species than the two already described (Eutoweres aquila and E. Condamini) ; but it is only of late that I have acquired sufficient materials to justify my arriving at any satisfactory conclusion on the subject. At this moment I have before me three specimens of the true LZ. aquila from New Granada, seven skins of a bird from the neighbourhood of Quito, which I consider to be distinct from that species, and three from Veragua, which differ slightly from both. ‘ E. aquila is the largest species of the genus, and is distinguished by the snow-white shafts of its tail- feathers, which doubtless show very conspicuously when the bird is on the wing and the tail widely spread ; this character is found in every specimen I have examined, and, I believe, will prove constant. The Quitan bird, like some of the Phaethornithes, is extremely variable in its markings; for instance, the tail, in some specimens, has the tips of the feathers white for nearly half an inch from the tip, in others for a quarter, in others, again, for an eighth; and I possess one in which the white tipping is absent, all the feathers being of a uniform olive-grey; but in no instance that I have seen does the white extend down the shaft as in E. aquila. On comparing the seven Quitan specimens with the Bogotan birds, I find that the striz on the breast are black and white in the former, and black and buff in the latter. I shall designate the Quitan bird E. heterura, with the following description :— ‘¢Upper mandible wholly black, under mandible yellow for two thirds of its length from the base, the remainder olive-brown ; crown of the head nearly black, each feather glossed with green at the tip; upper surface dull grass-green ; tail olive-grey, in some instances tipped with sullied white; wings deep purplish black ; under surface, from the throat to the vent, striated with black and buff, the buff becoming lighter on the centre of the abdomen ; under tail-coverts brown, varied with black. Total length 5 inches, bill 1, wing 2%, tail 27, tarsi +. ” EUTOXERES SALVINI, Gouwia. Salvin’s Sickle-bill, Eutoxeres salvini, Gould, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) i. p. 455 (1868).—Eudes-Deslongchamps, Annuaire Mus. d’Hist. Nat. Caen, i. p. 72 (1881). Grypus salvini, Gray, Hand-l. Birds, 1. p. 123, no. 1547 (1869). Lutoxeres aquila, pt., Elliot, Synopsis of Humming-Birds, p. 3 (1878). Tue present bird I consider to constitute at least a distinct race of Lutoveres, although Mr. Elliot, in his recent synopsis of the group, has not thought it necessary to separate it from £. aquila. I am content to notice the bird without figuring it, and must leave to future ornithologists the task of determining the value of /. salvini as a species. The following is a transcript of the remarks which I published when originally writing on this bird :— ‘The Veraguan bird is much more nearly allied to the Ecuadorean than the New-Granadian species, but possesses characters differing from both, which, though slight, appear to be constant, none of the specimens I possess having the pure white shafts of the New-Granadian /. aqui/a, or the uniformly coloured tail of the Ecuadorian Z. heferura, but having all the tail-feathers tipped with white ; if moreover assimilates to this bird in size, as it also does in the buff colouring of the striz of the throat and breast. For this Veraguan bird I propose the name of Lutoxeres Salvini, in compliment to a gentleman who assuredly deserves that a finer bird should bear his name; but as this species lives on that side of the Isthmus of Panama his labours whereon have been rewarded with such fruitful results, I embrace the first opportunity afforded me of testifying to the benefit he has conferred upon the branch of science to which we are both attached. It may be asked, and with some show of reason, if characterizing birds as distinct which present such trifling differences is not like splitting straws; to which I would answer, such differences not only exist, but are as constant as the seasons which run their courses without variation, and it is well known to all who have studied the natural productions of the two Americas that their faunas, with but few exceptions, differ in toto. How these differences have been brought about is beyond our comprehension ; but when we do find them, they ought assuredly to be made known.” sy GS € oH « Ka 1 5 IT 4 IAI|LATTNN | 2 , 3 om 4 RES aC) ANDRODON AQUATORIALIS, Gowia. Ecuadorian ‘Tooth-bill. Androdon equatorialis, Gould, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1863, vol. xu. p. 247.—Elliot’s Syn. Peconmlsion Gryphus equatorialis, Muls. Hist. Nat. Ois.-Mouch. tom. i. p. 32, pl. Ir was a source of great pleasure to me that such an interesting form of Humming-bird had been discovered since my great Monograph was published. Of this curious Humming-bird, according to my statement in the ‘Annals,’ I had but two specimens—one whose bill was armed with teeth, and a hook at the end of each mandible; the other was toothless in the same organ, and the upper bill did not end in a hook. Judging from this difference in the bills, the male only had teeth ending in a hook, the bill of the female is straighter and smooth at the edges, as will be seen by a glance at the drawing. This singular form of Androdon has its alliances, although they are not very near ; Gryphus, and Eutowxeres may be stated as two of them ; these forms, I believe, run into Glaucis and Phaethornis. The form about which I am now writing has moderately large wings, while the tail-feathers are half covered ; tarsi and feet very small. As I have never seen a line written on the history of the Ecuadorian Tooth-bill, I fear some repetition of my original description must be added; for myself, I literally do not know any thing about its habits and economy. The following appeared in the ‘Annals ’ :— “IT send for insertion in your next Number a description of a new and very singular Humming-bird which I have lately received from Ecuador. Not only does it differ specifically from every other with which I am acquainted, but it also differs in its structure from every form comprised in the great family of Trochilide. ‘This new bird is so very singular that it is not easy to say to which section of the family it is most nearly related; but in some of its characters it assimilates with Gryphus, Eutoveres, and Doryfera. In size it is about equal to Lampornis mango; the edges of its mandibles are thickly set with fine teeth, like those of Gryphus, but more strongly developed; the bill is very long for the size of the bird, and has rather an upward curvature; the wings are moderate in proportion to the body; and the tail is square or slightly rounded. The bird must be ranked among the dull-coloured species of its extensive family ; at the same time it exhibits some approach to a metallic lustre in the blue or bronzy-red colouring of the hinder part of the crown. I say blue or bronzy-red, because the only specimens I have seen differ in this way, as they also do in the form of the bill,—the one with a blue crown having the toothing strongly developed, and the bill terminating in spiny hooks which cross each other when that organ is closed; whilst the other with a bronzy-red crown has a longer Dill, the serrations are not developed, and the spiny hooks are wanting. The tarsi are partly bare of feathers ; and the feet are small, pale in colour, and with very long black nails. The back in both is bronzy green; the rump apparently crossed with white feathers, while the upper tail-coverts are bluish; the tail-feathers are pale olive-grey at the base crossed with a band of blackish green near the tip, the three outer ones on each side being largely tipped with white ; wings purplish brown, witb epaulets of light grey, similar in form to those seen in Helianthea eos; all the under surface grey, with a conspicuous streak of blackish brown down the feathers of the throat, as in Lucoveres. «otal length 52 inches, bill 14, wing Is, tail 14. « Fah. Ecuador.” A | = | 1 i a i f om Walter unp Mi { O01] { A Bs re hy 5 3 R ast al & SS S > = FANOOTTV U1) U111 mi DAYS.) OK Y LIAN Y "7 ui a RN t ra kom a) : ‘Ag a) ( eRe eh SIZE * oe Tle EUPETOMENA HIRUNDO, Gowd. Western Swallow-tail. Eupetomena hirundo, Gould, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) xvi. p. 370 (1875).—Sclater & Salv. Proce. Zool. Soc. 1876, p. 18.—Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 22 (1878).—Eudes-Deslongchamps, Annuaire Mus. d’Hist. Nat. Caen, i. p. 143 (1881). I was indebted to Mr. Henry Whitely for the opportunity of describing, through the ‘ Annals and Magazine of Natural History,’ this fine species of Humming-bird, which is very similar to the Eupetomena macroura, and is the western representative of that bird on the great continent of South America. The present bird differs from 2. macroura by having a shorter tail, the feathers of which are broader and less rigid; the wing, on the other hand, is larger and longer. In colour, while /. macroura is always blue on the head and breast, the new species is distinguished by these parts being washed with green. Mr. Whitely found numbers of this bird flying over the open plains in pursuit of insects. He says that they “rarely approach a flower, but appear to take their food hawking about in the air in the manner of Swallows—in fact, at first sight might be easily mistaken for those birds.” He procured the species at Huiro, in the Valley of Santa Ana, Peru, at an elevation of 4800 feet. Head and throat deep blue, with a wash of green on the crown; body both above and beneath green ; wings, tail, and under-coverts steel-bluish black ; bill jet-black. The female is similarly coloured to the male; but the outer shaft of the wing is not enlarged as in the male, where the stem of this feather is dilated as in the genus Campylopterus. ‘Total length 62 inches, bill 2, wing 33, tail 33. In the Plate I have given representations of a male in two different positions, drawn from the type specimen in my cabinet. iS lax o “Alas. Z NOK cy val a ) Coa 1} i SPHENOPROCTUS CURVIPENNIS. Mexican Sabre-wing.. GS Trochilus curvipennis, Licht. Preis Verz. Mex. Thier. p. 1 (1830).—Cab. J. f. O. 1863, p. 55. Sphenoproctus pampa (pt.), Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. iv. p- 11 (1860). Campylopterus pampa (nec Less.), De Oca, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1860, p. 551. Sphenoproctus curvipennis, Gould, Intr. Trochil. S8vo, p- 51 (1861).—Sclater & Salvin, Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p. 79 (1873).—Hlliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 23 (1878).—Eudes-Deslongchamps, Ann. Mus. d’Hist. Nat. de Caen, i. p. 146 (1880). Polytmus curvipennis, Gray, Hand-list of Birds, i. p. 125, no. 1569 (1869). Tus is the Mexican representative of 8. pampa of Guatemala, and differs from that species in having the head of a pale metallic blue. The following account of the species is given by Mr. Rafael Montes De Oca (Z. ¢.) :— “The people of Coalepec, nine miles from Jalapa, give to this species of Humming-bird the name Chupa- mirto fandanguero, or Fandango Myrtle-sucker, for the reason, apparently, that it has a somewhat musical voice. It is the only Humming-bird which, to my knowledge, has any notes which are sufficient to recognize it by in the woods, and these, though rather monotonous, are quite pleasing. In the neighbourhood of Jalapa this species is found occasionally, but in the above-mentioned place is more abundant, although very difficult to obtain. It inhabits the forest in the winter season, and generally feeds on the flowers of high bushes called Asasaretos, which at that season are in full bloom and densely covered with beautiful smooth emerald- green leaves, amongst which it is very difficult to see this bird, though it often betrays itself by its musical notes, especially in the morning. The males only, I think, sing, or at least much more than the females. “‘Very few specimens of this kind are seen in summer time in this neighbourhood. It is found also near Cordova, and goes as far south as Guatemala, where perhaps it builds its nest, for I have never seen or heard of a nest being found here. ‘The general appearance of this species is as follows :—The upper part of the head is beautiful metallic ultramarine colour. Wing-coverts and tail-coverts and upper part of the body bronze-green. Throat, under wing-coverts, breast, and belly iron-grey colour, and the under tail-coverts the same, but tinged with chestnut. Quills purplish black with the vanes black and resembling whalebone, the three principal ones rather wider than common. ‘Tail-feathers yellowish bronze-green, all except the two central with the half towards the point bluish black, three on each side tipped with chestnut iron-grey. The feet are dark iron- grey, nails and upper mandible black, under mandible iron-grey. Its size from the point of the bill to the top of the tail is from 52 to 52 inches, wing 22, tail 2, bill 18 inches. The female is almost precisely like the male, with the difference of about ? of an inch in size, and either less blue or with it less brilliant on the top of the head.” [R. B. SJ CY oie. Y eed & On BF CIN ORE o) We oy TA Y OK] e Pa fai 4 ee See gc 2 3 4 5 mn OT a: te Oh FS CAMPYLOPTERUS PHAINOPEPLUS, s. & a. Simons’s Sabre-wine. Campylopterus phainopeplus, Salvin & Godman, Ibis, 1879, p. 202.—lid. Ibis, 1880, p. 171, Pp leenvantioaele Tus beautiful Humming-bird was discovered by Mr. F. Simons, in the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta, in 1879, and was met with by him at altitudes varying between 4000 and 15,000 feet above the sea-level. It has been described by Messrs. Salvin and Godman, who state that it is allied to Campylopterus villavicencit, but presenting many points of distinction—the colour of the head not being golden green, the body being much more shining green, the middle tail-feathers steel-blue instead of green, &c. The following account of the first capture of the species was contributed by Mr. Simons :— ‘During an eight months’ sojourn in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta I had frequent opportunities of observing this interesting and brilliant Humming-bird, which I believe is migratory, spending the months of February, March, April, and May in the banana plantations of the Lower Nevada, from 4000 to 6000 feet above the sea-level. From June to October I found it in the more elevated regions up to nearly the snow- line, or 15,000 feet above the sea-level. While exploring a mountain-gorge near Atanques (4000 feet) I obtained my first specimen, in March. It was resting on a bent twig in the shade of a banana-leaf, and appeared very tame, allowing me to retire some distance before firing. The species was unknown to most of the inhabitants of Atanques, and excited much admiration from its beauty. A few days afterwards I had the pleasure of meeting with it again among the banana-groves of San José. These plantations of the Indians are very extensive along the banks of the Guatapuri, at an elevation of 6000 feet, and are the highest banana-cultivation in the Nevada. This Humming-bird is pretty common here, but solitary ; and I seldom saw more than three or, at the most, four in an afternoon. It betrays its presence, not only by the well-known dur-rr of the wings, but also by a sharp double note uttered as it flits from flower to flower. Alighting suddenly on a branch in the shade, it will remain minute after minute without the slightest movement. On these occasions I used to watch them carefully, but never could see them fly away, they disappeared as they came, like phantoms. “Visiting San Sebastian in June, I was surprised to find the same little beauty, identical in plumage, but with totally different habits. Instead of shunning the sun, as among the bananas, it establishes itself on the topmost twig of some dead branch or scantily clothed tree, and passes the day filling the air with its loud plaintive note in answer to its mate. very now and then, as a sort of exercise, it would shoot up into the air like a rocket, sound a very pretty ¢wit-twit, turn a few somersaults, and descend gracefully with tail-feathers spread out like a fan. These aerial movements are excessively beautiful, and always resorted to, even if the bird is disturbed. In this latter case it does not return to its accustomed perch, but seeks another tree close by, where it sings on merrily till all danger is past; it always, however, returns to its old haunt. I watched one for a fortnight, and it never forsook its adopted perch. Another I fired at four times successively without effect; in spite of this it always returned to the same tree. They are very wary and difficult to shoot; and I have spent days dodging them backwards and forwards without getting near enough for a shot. June and July are the flowering months in the elevated regions. This may attract them ; for I have met with them in all parts of the Nevada, especially in a valley at an elevation of 11,000 feet, where they were abundant, but so shy that there was no approaching them within a hundred yards. On crossing to the northern flank, I found them as low down as San Miguel, 6000 feet. At San Antonio, 3450 feet, not ten miles distant, they were unknown. ‘©On previous visits to San Sebastian in February and March, this species was not there; but the Indians told me that after the first rains a very beautiful ‘ Chupa-flor’ puts in an appearance, without, however, being very common. Passing a couple of days in San José in August, I found they had disappeared. « Atanques, a small Indian village of 1000 inhabitants, the capital of the Territory of Nevada, lies in the mountains between the rivers Guatapuri and Badillo, about four miles (as the crow flies) N.E. of Valle Dupar. «The first rains begin in April; May is very wet, June to September showery. The second rains begin in September ; October is the worst month ; and November is sometimes wet.” The Plate represents two males and a female of the natural size, the figures having been drawn from the typical specimens lent to us by Messrs. Salvin and Godman. [R. B. S.J j y yoy 5 i} 2 Are @ i) Ok RO Ep. FJ © yo? BA (ONY DB Oe le APHANTO( ANTOCHRO: HROA HYPOST cr A Ve LMOTA, Gould, wuld &W Har ded a tech Malte Lip APHANTOCHROA HYPOSTICTA, Gowa. Spotted-breasted Humming-bird. Aphantochroa hyposticta, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1862, p- 124.—Sclater & Salvy. Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p. 80 (1873).—Whitely, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, p: 189.—Taczanowski, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1874, p. 545.—Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 29 (1878).—Sclater & Salv. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1879, p- 627.—Eudes-Deslongchamps, Annuaire Mus. d’Hist. Nat. Caen i. p. 164 (1880). Aphantochroa hypostictus, Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, iv. p. 151 (1876). Polytmus hypostictus, Gray, Hand-list of Birds, i. p. 125, no. 1571 (1879). Some years ago I received specimens of the present bird from Quito, but I have recently considered that they were collected near the waters of the Upper Napo. The species differs from 4. cirrhochloris in its spotted breast, in its shorter tail, and its rather more lengthened and curved bill. It has also been obtained by Mr. Whitely at San Antonio in Eastern Peru, by Jelski at Soriano in Northern Peru, and by Buckley at Nairapi in Bolivia, showing that it has a wide range through the eastern slopes of the Andes. I extract the following description from my original paper :— ‘All the upper surface, wing- and tail-coverts deep green ; wings purplish brown ; tail dull purplish green, deepening into blackish brown at the tip, the two outer feathers on each side very slightly fringed with white at the tip; feathers of the throat, breast, and centre of the abdomen dull white at the base, with a spot of dull green near the tip, giving those parts a spotted appearance; remainder of the under surface dull green ; under tail-coverts dull green at the base, deepening into black near the end, and fringed with grey ; tarsi and thighs rather thickly clothed with white feathers ; bill black, except at the base of the under mandible, which appears to have been flesh-colour. Total length 43 inches, bill lis, wing 24, tail 14.” The figures in the Plate represent an adult bird in two positions. ah A Co AS OLE ~& = s 3 HUNTON nT 3 4.8 om 4 gun qi ee" ef re hd Sr wet tk CQALIGENA HEMILEUCA. White-bellied Cacique. Oreopyra hemileuca, Salvin, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p- 584. Celigena hemileuca, Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 31 (1878). Turs bird was originally described by Mr. Salvin as an Oreopyra, but he now considers that it might be more correctly placed in the genus Delattria. This species has the under surface of the body white like C. viridipallens, but is easily distinguished from that bird by its amethyst-coloured throat. It has at present only been found in Costa Rica, where it replaces C. viridipallens of Guatemala. The following is a translation of Mr. Salvin’s description :— ‘* Back, sides, and lesser wing-coverts green; crown, sides of head, and chin brilliant glittering green; a long post-ocular streak of white extending as far as the nape, the latter blackish green ; throat amethyst, the breast and the abdomen entirely white, the vent rather more ashy ; wings dull purplish black; tail ashy green, the two centre feathers green, the others with a subterminal band of bronzy green, the tips themselves whitish ; bill black ; feet dusky. Adult female with the head and the throat plain, the terminal spot of the outer tail-feathers larger in size. ‘Total length 4 inches, wing 2°6, tail 1-45, long tail-feathers 1°55, bill from gape 0:95.” We have represented in the Plate two males and a female of the natural size. [R. B. 8.] PD A IRI OID wap oy : Toul &WeHare de th DREOPYRA CALOLAEMA, Saly Muntern Bros, unp OREOPYRA CALOLAEMA, Savin. Purple-throated Humming-bird. Oreopyra calolema, Salvin, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 584.—Scl. & Salv. Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p. 80 (1872).—Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 33 (1878).—EKudes- Deslongchamps, Ann. Mus. d’Hist. Nat. Caen, i. p. 239 (1880). Oreopyra venusta, Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii. p. 484. Tats Humming-bird is easily recognizable from the other species of Oreopyra by its metallic purple throat, the other two species having white throats. It was originally described by Mr. Salvin from specimens procured by Enrique Arcé on the Volean de Cartago in Costa Rica, and it has since been obtained in the State of Panama. The following is a translation of Mr. Salvin’s original description :— Back greenish ; bead with the breast bluish green, very brilliant, the latter being more distinctly green ; entire throat and chin glittering violet-red; ear-coverts and sides of nape black; a long postocular streak of white, extending as far as the nape; belly dull ashy, slightly washed with green; vent uniform, the feathers margined with white; wings purplish black, the wing-coverts green ; tail steel-blue. Total length 4A inches, wing 2°6, tail 1:4, longest tail-feathers 1-5, bill from gape I. Two males and a female, of the natural size, are depicted in the Plate, drawn from typical specimens lent to us by Messrs. Salvin and Godman. [R. B. S.] D4 YO. As 282 a mr : “ Sr . A) 7) oH ais J Gould & WHart cel, et buh LIU LU UN LATpOT vA a ‘ 7 y ye OREOPYRA v IONE, REICADIDA 3 Lawr. Mintern Bros.ump. QOREOPYRA CINEREICAUD A Lawrence. Grey-tailed Humming-bird. Oreopyra cinereicauda, Lawrence, Ann. Lye. New York, vii. p. 485 (1867), ix. p. 125 (1868).—Sclater & Salv. Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p. 80 (1873).—Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 34 (1878).—Eudes-Deslongchamps, Ann. Mus. d’ Hist. Nat. Caen, 1. p. 243 (1880). Oreopyra castaneiventris, Lawrence, Ann. Lye. New York, ix. p. 124 (1868, part.). Mr. Exxior states that this species is closely allied to O. deucaspis, but is distinguished by its ashy white tail; the under tail-coverts are also paler and the bill is longer (culmen ¢ inch). The female resembles that of O. /eucaspis, but has the bill longer than in that species. It appears to be confined to Costa Rica. The figures in the Plate represent two males and a female of the size of life. OREOPYRA LEUCASPIS, Gow. White-throated Humming-bird. Oreopyra leucaspis, Gould, Monogr. Trochil. iv. pl. 264.—Id. Intr. Trochil. 8vo, p. 141 (1861).—Salv. P. Z.S. 1870, p. 205.—Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 33 (1878).—Eudes-Deslongchamps, Ann. Mus. d’Hist. Nat. Caen, i. p. 243 (1880). Metallura castaneiventris, Reichenb. Aufz. der Colibr. p. 8 (1853).—Id. Handb. ‘Trochil. p- 5 (1855). Anthrocephala castaneiventris, Gould, Monogr. Trochil. iii. pl. 203.—Id. Intr. Trochil. 8vo, p. 115 (1861). Tuts species has already been figured in the Monograph—the male as O. leucaspis, the female as A. castaneiventris. Vt bas been thought better to take advantage of the opportunity of re-figuring it along with the other two species of the genus. Like O. cinereicauda, it bas a white throat, but may be easily distinguished from that species by its black tail. At present it is only known from Panama, where it has been found on the Volean de Chiriqui. In Costa Rica O. cinereicauda takes its place. [R. B. S.J Eo LT 4 ti "| 3 Wr, AO? itl 2 1 AA: cm 1 ITAUINUU DiRS 6) AS Hs PMs PINAROLAMA BUCKLEYI, Gouid. Buckley’s Mountain Humming-bird. Pinarolema Buckleyi, Gould, Ann. & Mag. of Nat. Hist. ser. 5, vol. v. p. 489 (June 1880). A SINGLE specimen only of this species has as yet been obtained. This is in such ragged plumage that its markings can only be determined with difficulty. The specimen was moulting when it was shot; and much of the colour has faded from the old feathers. The tail and the throat, however, are pretty perfect ; and these parts, together with a few new feathers, are tinted so as to indicate sufficiently clearly the colour of the plumage of the perfect bird. Any Trochilidist would be instantly convinced of the fact that this specimen belongs to a new species of Humming-bird in a bad state of plumage; and it rests with future travellers to discover others in perfect plumage where this individual was procured. Some Trochilidists believe the specimen to be a female, others a male ; my own opinion is that it is the latter ; but the bird is in moult, and probably very much altered. Mr. Buckley, whose name it bears, was the discoverer of this bird; he killed it at Misqui, in Bolivia, the height of the spot where it was found being 10,000 feet above the sea. When the male of this bird is clean-mantled, I think, judging by the tail and throat and the spots of purple alternating with the old brown feathers in places throughout the upper surface, it will prove to be a finer bird than it now appears. I regret I have no information to give respecting its actions, habits, and mode of feeding; but, from its long wings and little feet, I judge that the present bird is a good flyer, and perhaps depends for its food upon insects caught in the air rather than taken from flowers in the usual way. IT regret I have nothing more to add to the little already published, which runs as follows :—<* The general appearance of this bird reminds me of Lampornis ; but it has an extremely long wing. In the latter respect it resembles Oreotrochilus ; but it differs from that genus in its strongly curved and lengthened bill and in its very broad tail-feathers, while its extremely small feet seem peculiar to the genus.” So much refers to form ; in what follows, colour and admeasurements are attended to. “‘ Brown, with a purplish gloss on the back ; the upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers brown, glossed with purple, and having a subterminal band of steel-blue ; under surface of body brown, slightly washed with metallic green ; the throat lighter brown, the feathers edged with paler brown, giving a scaly appearance ; vent and under tail coverts white, the latter washed with brown. “Total length 4:6 inches, culmen 1:05, wing 2°95, tail 1°85, tarsus 0-15. ‘Habitat. Misqui, Bolivia, 10,000 feet.” AN ares NOL SEO) LAMPORNIS CALOSOMA, Etot. Elliot’s Topaz. Chrysolampis chlorolemus, Elliot, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) vi. p. 346 (1870). Lampornis calosoma, Sclater & Salvin, Ibis, 1871, p. 429.—Elliot, Ibis, 1872, p. 351.— Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Ois.-Mouches, i. p. 177.—Elliot, Synops. Humming-birds, p. 41. Iv is now ten years ago since this beautiful species was described by my friend Mr. Elliot ; and the specimen still remains unique in the collection of the latter gentleman. As he observes, I gave him my opinion at the time that the species ought to be placed in the genus Chrysolampis ; and although in deference to the judgment of Mr. Salvin and Mr. Elliot I go so far as to follow them in the present work and place it in the genus Lampornis, I believe in my innermost heart that they are mistaken, and that the bird is a true Chrysolampis—if, indeed, it should not be placed in a genus by itself. I would ask any body to compare the figures which I have drawn in order to show both the back and front views of the bird, and to say which form the present species most resembles, Lampornis or Chrysolampis. I(t has not the long bill nor the forked tail of the former genus, characters in my opinion quite sufficient to separate it from that; but, on the other hand, let it be compared with Chrysolampis moschitus, in how many characters they agree ! First, there is the small bill, the metallic crown, the darker back, and the rounded tail, with the coppery- brown central tail-feathers, though it is true that in Z. calosoma the remainder of the rectrices are purple ; still the general character of the plumage is like that of C. moschitus; and, again, on the under surface the metallic throat, the dark belly, the chestnut under tail-coverts, and the under surface of the tail all remind us of the last-named species. If, therefore, as I anticipate, the bird should be one day replaced in the genus Chrysolampis, the specific name of chlorolemus will have to be restored as well. Mr. Elliot writes :—‘ The habitat of this species is unknown; but it is not unlikely that it may be a native of the West-Indian Islands, of whose ornithology we at present know nothing. If this supposition should prove to be correct, a fine field still remains unexplored for some enterprising naturalist; for among the members of the genus Lampornis the present species is one of the very handsomest, and doubtless many equally fine birds in this and other families are still unknown to science to reward the researches of the explorer.” The following description is given by Mr. Elliot in his ‘ Synopsis : ’— “Male. Top of head and neck pale metallic silvery green, in some lights purplish; a black band across the back; rest of upper parts dark green; tail fiery copper-colour, the feathers margined with blackish purple ; throat brilliant emerald-green ; underparts purplish black ; spot of white on the flanks ; under tail- coverts chestnut; bill black. ‘Total length 4 inches, wing 23, tail 13, culmen 3.” The Plate contains two figures of the unique type, and shows both back and front views of the bird, for reasons specified above. Iam indebted to Mr. Elliot for the loan of the specimen from which the figures are drawn. 'e3 ee ed TE 4 Fe — SWS 4 a Ne A ST a em amr | nn a mr pr ee: — CHALYBURA I[SAUR. Madame de Lafresnaye’s Plumeleteer. Hypuroptila isaure, Gould, Proce. Zool. Soc. 1861, p. 199. Chalybura isaure, Salvin, Proe. Zool. Soc. 1867, pp. 131, 152.—Gould, Intr. Trochil. 8vo, p. 72 (1861).—Scel. & Salv. Nomencel. Av. Neotr. p. 82 (18738). Lampornis isaure, Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, 1. p. 174 (1874). Tuis Humming-bird was described by Mr. Gould from Veraguan specimens. It is a very distinct species, and is distinguished from C. wrochrysea of Panama by the bronze-coloured tail with a purplish lustre on the outer rectrices. C. melanorrhoa, which is also nearly allied to C. isaure@, may be recognized by its black crissum. The following is the original description of the male :— «Head, all the upper surface, wing-coverts, flanks, and abdomen coppery-bronze, inclining to purple on the lower part of the back and upper tail-coverts ; wings purplish brown ; tail very dark bronze, inclining to purple ; throat and breast grass-green 5 under tail-coverts white; upper mandible black ; under mandible fleshy, with a black tip; tarsi yellow or flesh-colour. «Total Jength 4% inches, bill 1s, wing 28, tail 12, tarsi ae Mr. Salvin has described the female as follows :-— «¢ Above greenish, with the head duller; the rump and the tail glossed with bronze ; wings dusky ; under surface of body dull ashy, the vent white ; the two outer tail-feathers on each side tipped with white ; upper mandible dusky, the lower one dusky yellow at the tip; feet yellow.” (Dee Senos] ED 1 TR fT FO | ARR ROA A a a | se i 5 HANAN) U HAUTE mi 3 mM (Nil ny Uys.) ORS {ANUULLYUN om 4 . ) ny ® s. 8 rN HYPUROPTILA MELANORRHOA, Gouwid. Black-vented Plumeleteer. Chalybura melanorrhoa, Salvin, P.Z.S8. 1864, p. 585.—Scl. & Salv. Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p. 82.—Elliot, Synopsis Trochil. p. 47. Chalybura carmioli, Lawr. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1865, p. 39. Lampornis melanorrhoa, Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, vol. i. p. 174. Polytmus melanorrhous, Gray, Hand-l. B. vol. i. p. 126. Tue first discoverer of this species was the well-known collector Enrique Arcé, who procured it at Tucurrique in Costa Rica; and shortly after, Mr. Lawrence found specimens in the Smithsonian Institution, collected by Mr. Carmiol at Angostura, in Costa Rica, which he described as Chalybura carmioh. Though nearly allied to C. isaure, it is easily distinguished by the black vent, which is white in the first- named bird; and there can be no doubt that the two species are quite distinct. Mr. Salvin remarks that his C. melanorrhoa, with C. tsaure, forms a somewhat abnormal section of the genus; “but the differences, as seen from our present materials, are hardly of sufficient importance to warrant a generic separation. They may be briefly stated as follows:—The plumage in the Chalybura is generally more brilliant; the uropygium is nearly the same colour as the back ; in the Costa-Rica bird it is clearly defined. The plumed feathers of the crissum, in the former, are much more developed.” This species, as at present known, is only found in Central America, where it occurs in Costa Rica and Veragua. The diagnosis given by Mr. Elliot for this species is as follows :— Male. Head and upper parts dark grass-green ; rump purplish bronze ; wings purplish brown; under- parts very dark shining grass-green ; abdomen dark brown glossed with green; under tail-coverts black ; tail dark bronzy purple ; maxilla black ; mandible flesh-colour. Total length 42 inches, wing 28, tail 15, culmen %.” The principal figures in the Plate represent two males, of the size of life. Minterr Bros. UMP dm Z WC a GEIR MANA, >» Saly. & ( OPHORA KT s P] W. Hart, clel, ot lth. mi 3 4 5 ny a5 A SE” fh eZ b 6 cy PAN TE 7 yd © LR EY. OL. ‘ae @ as PETASOPHORA GERMANA, Salvin & Godman. Guiana Violet-ear. Trochilus anais, Cab. in Schomb. Reis. Guian. i. p. 707 (1848). Petasophora germana, Salvin & Godman, Ibis, 1884, p. 451.—Salvin, Ibis, 1885, p. 434. Mr. Wuirezy has met with this species only on Roraima in British Guiana. It is described by Messrs. Salvin and Godman as being allied to P. anais and of the same size, but with the throat much more blue, the whole of the lower throat more blue, and the forehead suffused with blue. The authors observe respecting it:—‘‘ Mr. Whitely obtained a pair of this species in the neighbourhood of Roraima, the male at an elevation of 5000 feet, the female at 6000 feet. Though the difference between the present bird and P. anais of the Andes is not great, we feel justified in separating them, the ranges of the two being doubtless broken by the low-lying lands of the Orinoco valley. It is, no doubt, this species which Schomburgk mentions in his list of Guiana birds (‘Reise in Guiana,’ ii. p. 707).” The Plate represents an adult male in two positions. [R. B. S.J Il 5 IAIJAATHTOTYTUTTTAU ALT Da ony IIL : =o pL Bi Joe ate PEN: — ; i k TOON NRC Pd i Ne ONS BN io % MY f ALS RN BA IY OLE aye .@ IONOLAMA WHITELYANA, Gowda. Whitely’s Humming-bird. Tolema whiteleyana, Gould, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) x. p. 452 (1872).—Sclater & Salvin, Nomencel. Av. Neotrop. p. 82 (1872).—Whitely, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, p. 188. —Muls. Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, ui. p. 141 (1876). Tonolema whitelyana, Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 59 (1878). Tonolaima whitelyana, Budes-Deslongchamps, Annuaire Mus. d’Hist. Nat. Caen, 1. p. 276 (1880). Four species of the genus Jonolema are now known, two of them having a brilliant metallic spot on the forehead, viz. I. frontalis and I. whitelyana, and two which have no bright spot, . daminosa and I. sehreibers:. The present bird differs from J. frontalis in having the breast green instead of black : it was discovered by Mr. Henry Whitely at Cosnipata in the province of Cuzco, Peru, in August 1871, at an elevation of 2300 feet above the level of the sea. Mr. Whitely states that he found the bird very rare, having only met with a male in August, and a female on the 21st of May, 1871. He states that it “ frequents flowering plants at the tops of the loftiest trees in the depths of the forest, at nearly all times out of range of gun-shot. Very powerful in flight, and darts from flower to flower with extraordinary rapidity.” The following description was given by me in the volume of the ‘ Annals’ mentioned above :— ‘Male. Crown, all the upper surface and flanks deep grass-green; an obscure glittering mark on the forehead; chin, chest, and centre of the abdomen jet-black with a broad gorget of beautiful violet on the throat ; the bill, which is stout and straight, is black, as are also the legs and toes; the tail and under tail- coverts steel-black; primaries and secondaries purplish brown, the external edge of the outer primary reddish brown. Total length 52 inches, bill 13, wing 3, tail 22.” Mr. Whitely gives the soft parts as follows: ‘Bill black ; eye dark hazel ; legs, toes, and claws black.” The specimens figured in the Plate are the original ones procured by Mr. Whitely, and now in my collection. ILA AK ee ‘ ye AUBIOLIS , Lawr. Mintern, Bros.unp gr we a |e EUGENES SPECTABILIS. Costa Rica Humming-bird. Heliomaster spectabilis, Lawrence, Ann, Lye. New York, vii. p. 472 (1867). Trochilus spectabilis, Gray, Hand-list of Birds, i. p. 1387, no. 1750 (1869). Eugenes spectabilis, Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, i. p. 215 (1876).—Boucard, Proce. Zool. Soe. 1878, p. 68.—Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 61 (1878). Two species of the genus Hugenes are known—one, &. fudgens, being found in Texas and Mexico, and as far south as Guatemala, while the second species, Z. spectadilis, replaces it in Costa Rica. The latter differs from E. fudgens in having the breast dark green instead of black, and the lateral tail-feathers bronzy brown instead of bronzy green. The following full description is copied from Mr. Elliot’s work :— “ Male. Forehead dull green. Top of head and occiput brilliant dark violet. Upper parts dark grass- green, the back appearing black in certain lights. Wings purple. Throat metallic dark green, bluish in some lights. Underparts dark grass-green, the breast never appearing black in any light. Under tail-coverts green, tipped with buff. Median rectrices dark bronze-green, the remainder bronze-green, graduating into blackish brown and edged with white on the tips. Bill black. Total length 5% inches, wing 3, tail 1%, tarsus lo. “© Young (? Female). Crown dull brown. Entire underparts dull greyish brown, with an ochreous tinge. Flanks dull green, with white pleural spot. Lateral rectrices green at base, a subterminal black bar and the tips greyish white.” The figures in the Plate represent two males and a female, of the natural size. [R. B. S.J J. Grould, & W. Hart, del et lith j Bros. ump. Mintern Bre MUTI OV ALG ATTOUNETeTTTTULT ke oe ‘ i LAMPRASTER BRANICKIL, Tuez. Count Branicki’s Humming-bird. Lampraster branickii, Tacz. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1874, p. 140, pl. xxi. fig. 1—Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, ii. p. 200 (1876).—Ellit, Synopsis of the Humming- Birds, p. 63 (1878) —Kudes-Deslongchamps, Ann. Mus. Caen, i. p. 290, [all We fig. 8 (1880).—Tacz. Orn. Pérou, i. p. 286 (1884). Tue genus Lampraster has been placed by Mr. D. G. Elliot between Eugenia and Heliodoxa. The single specimen of this fine species of Humming-bird was obtained by Mr. Jelski at Monterico in Peru, and the male bird described by Dr. Taczanowski still remains unique in the Warsaw Museum. The name of the late Count Branicki, attached to it by Dr. Taczanowski, will serve to commemorate the noble and generous patron of the Warsaw Museum, by whose liberality the important researches of Messrs. Jelski and Stolamann were carried out in Peru and other countries of South America researches so well executed that the Warsaw Museum contains a series of more than one thousand species of birds from Peru alone, a result due to the enterprise and energy of the two celebrated Polish travellers mentioned above. We transcribe the description given by Dr. Taczanowski in his ‘ Ornithologie du Pérou’ :-— Adult male. Entirely green, the feathers of the crown appearing to be a little darker and bordered by a narrow border of black, separated by a longitudinal median band starting from the base of the bill and prolonged to the vertex, formed of scaly plumes of a very brilliant green changing into blue; the green of the wing-coverts is distinctly more golden than the back ; the fore part of the throat divided by a sort of shield formed of scale-like feathers of a rosy-red colour, taking a slight tone of violet under certain lights, and passing into golden and then into green under other reflections of light ; chin brilliant green; rest of the lower parts of the body of a shade analogous to that of the back, but becoming very brilliant under favourable rays of light; anal region downy and the under tail-coverts white, as well as the tarsal plumes and a spot behind the eye ; wings violet-brown, with the secondaries of a cinnamon-rufous at the extremity, which is dark, the outer quills bordered with rufous; tail-feathers black, with a slight lustre of violet-blue, the two middle ones green; bill black, with the base of the lower mandible white for a large extent, straight for the entire length, half as long again as the head; feet brownish, the tarsus clothed with short plumes. Total length 3:9 inches, bill 1-0, wing 2°65, tail 1-5. The figures in the Plate represent the adult male in two positions, of the size of life, and have been drawn from the unique type specimen lent us by Dr. Taczanowski. [R. B. S.J reo Oe rhe HELIODOXA XANTHOQONYS, Saly et Godm. Miartern Bros. ump MAT yg i a 7 in) . CIR Rear acy MOR A HELIODOXA XANTHOGONYS, Salvin & Godman. Guiana Brilliant. Heliodoxa xanthogonys, Salvin & Godman, Ibis, 1882, p. 80.—Salvin, Ibis, 1885, p-. 433. Xanthogenyx salvini, De Hamonville, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, viii. p- 77 (1883). Tue present species was also one of Mr. Whitely’s discoveries in British Guiana. He met with it both on the Merumé Mountains and near Roraima at a height of 3500 feet. Messrs. Salvin and Godman state that it is “allied to HZ. yamesoni from Ecuador, but is smaller, with a less forked tail, and is also distinguished by its orange-coloured mandible.” They observe (/.c.), “Mr. Whitely sends us a male and several females of this species, which is obviously allied to the Ecuadorian ZH. yamesoni, but at the same time quite specifically distinct. This is the first evidence we have received of the fact of a member of this Andean genus being found in Guiana.” Mr. Whitely has sent us the following account of his capture of the species on the Merumé Mountains :— *« This beautiful bird was obtained in the same locality as Lophornis pavoninus, but, unlike that species, it is of more retiring habits, frequenting the gloomy recesses of the forest, where it suddenly startles one by its rapid flights, and then coming to a stop, throwing the body up vertically within a few yards of one’s face, making a very loud humming with its wings. It then darts off out of sight like a flash, rendering it a most difficult bird to shoot. Only one male was obtained here, and several females ; but I was fortunate enough to get two males on my second expedition to Roraima, at an elevation of 5000 feet. Stomach contained remains of insects.” The Plate represents two males and a female, the figures being drawn from specimens lent to us by Messrs. Salvin and Godman. [R. B. S.J Minterw Bros. unp- RIS 5 Gould. PIRI SD a yy IU Th NA I v A Alt u Ot ) co ia fee eel a FY 5 W. Hart del, et lith IT igi 4 MM 3 HIYUUN YIU | AIA ag “wr > -@ >. cm TO Ot we ce ENE & N's ac Eo br Was 5° OS OZ Ow OKP, ANE a ng eg DIPHLOG ANA HESPERUS, Gowa Ecuadorean Rainbow. Diphlogena hesperus, Gould, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (3) xv. p. 129 (1865).—Sel. & Salv. Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p- 90 (1873).—Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, ii. p. 304, plate (1875).—Elliot, Synopsis of the Mumming-Birds, p. 70 (1878).— Berlepsch & Tacz. Proc. Zool. Soe. 1884, p. 303. Turs species represents in Ecuador the Diphlogena iris of Bolivia. It is of the same size as that bird, but has the back and abdomen green instead of chestnut-red. So far as is known, the present species is confined to the Andes of Ecuador. The original specimen came from the province of Cuenga; and Messrs. Von Berlepsch and Taczanowski have recorded a large series as having been procured by Messrs. Stolamann and Siemiradski in Western Ecuador at Cechce and Alpachaca, at an altitude of 10,500 feet, in the months of April and May. They write as follows :—‘* The female differs from the male in a manner analogous to that of the allied species. The feathers of the crown are short, less glittering, and they form a scaly surface of a coloration similar to that of the male, but distinctly less brilliant and almost uniform from the forehead to the nape; that is to say, it is more rufous on the latter part than in the male. The median blue streak is clearer and not of a sapphire tint, being nearly as large as in the male and not passing beyond the posterior angle of the eye; it lacks therefore the broad portion on the neck which is peculiar to the other sex ; under other lights the blue passes into violet. The green of the under surface of the body is distinctly clearer than in the male, but is quite as lustrous, and even more so on the abdomen ; the bases of all the feathers are clearer in the male, and in consequence all the underparts appear to be more distinctly scaled ; there is no trace of the spangle on the throat, and the bronze on the back is less uniform, passing into green on the sides: in other respects the female is like the male. The immature inales are distinguished by the crown being entirely covered with as short feathers as those of the female, and of a dull coppery bronze with a feeble but not glittering metallic lustre, which is slightly developed in front of the eyes under occasional aspects of light ; otherwise they are like the old males, some of them having the violet spangle as well developed as in the latter, while others do not show it at all. One male has the top of the head fully and brilliantly plumaged, but still lacks the jugular spangle, which is only represented by a single feather partly green and partly violet.” The following is the original description transcribed from the ‘ Annals’ (¢. ¢.) :— “ Male. Crown of the head brilliant, changeable, metallic blue and fiery red, the latter colour occupying the sides of the forehead, and the former running up the centre from the base of the bill to the crown, where it dilates into a broad patch ; hinder part of the head and the nape changeable brown and bronze ; back (as far as the rump, shoulders, abdomen, and flanks) green ; throat and chest rich metallic golden green, with a small spot of violet in the centre of the former; primaries and secondaries rust-brown, with darker tips; upper and under tail-coverts and the forked tail deep cinnamon-red, the feathers of the latter tipped and edged near the extremities with bronzy green; thighs buff; bill straight, long, tubular, and black ; feet brown. Total length 5% inches, bill 12, wing 33, tail 22.” In the Plate are given representations of two adult males and a female, drawn from specimens lent to us by Messrs. Salvin and Godman. [R. B. S.J Wiley del gastiee,, ID MP EULO G4EN A, cae Minterry Bros. unp- nag =a 2 3 a 5 DIPHLOGAINA AURORA. Warszewicz’s Rainbow. Hehanthea aurora, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1853, p. 61.—Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 251.—Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. iii. p. 80, note 6 (1860). Hypochrysia aurora, Reichenb. Aufz. der Colibr. (J. f. O. 1853, Extra-H.), p. 9 (1853).—Id. Handb. Trochil. p. 6 (1855). Leadbeatera warszewiczii, Reichenb. Aufz. der Colibr. p. 9 (1853).—Id. Handb. Trochil. p. 6, Taf. pexc. fig. 4526 (1855). Celigena warszewiczii, Reichenb. Aufz. der Colibr. p. 23 (1853). Diphlogena aurora, Gould, Monogr. Trochil. iv. pl. 248.—Id. Intr. Trochil. 8vo, p. 134 (1861).—Scel. & Salv. Nomencel. Av. Neotr. p. 90 (1873).—lid. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1879, p. 630. Diphlogena iris (pt.), Elhot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 69 (1878). Diphlogena warszewiczi, Tacz. P. Z. 8. 1880, p. 204.—Id. Orn. Pérou, p. 383 (1884). Tue discovery of the male bird of this splendid species, for the loan of which we have been indebted to Messrs. Salvin and Godman, has afforded a good opportunity of figuring it. The female has already been figured in the fourth volume of the present work, while the male has remained unknown until quite recently. The original specimens of this Humming-bird were obtained by the well-known traveller Warszewicz, in Bolivia, on the eastern slopes of the Andes, at Illimani and Sorata; but Mr. Buckley does not appear to have met with it during his expedition to Bolivia. We notice that Dr. Taczanowski has adopted the specific name of warszewicz? for this bird ; but we believe that the title of aurora was really published first, as it certainly appeared in April of the year 1853, whereas Prof. Reichenbach did not publish his name until the end of the same year. The latter appeared in the ‘ Extra-Heft’ of the ‘Journal ftir Ornithologie,’ which was in all probability not issued to the public before the year 1854. M. Stolzmann met with the present species in Peru at Cutervo, at an altitude of 9600 to 9700 feet. An adult male procured by Jelski between Shanyn and Tambillo is in the collection of Dr. Raimondi. According to M. Stolzmann, it is a bird of very swift movements, only stopping for an instant in shady places. The Plate represents a male bird of the size of life, the figures being drawn from a beautiful specimen lent to us by Messrs. Salvin and Godman. (iveetsen se) 7 RE a SF | Ra EES SOA Se re eae n SNe : W4 : Sve ae ) VO ee ox PA q CRs eS = Ba wx i) xb Jr ieee El T H L we 1 1 (6 Vo) Aa aaa Ki al a 1h) ew eR AN i a } iy ais LILAC TEE A OS CULANS, Gould. Munterm Bros. unp- a HELIANTHEA OSCULANS, Gouia. Buff-tailed Star-frontlet. Helianthea osculans, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soe. 1871, p. 503.—Sclater & Salvin, Nomenel. Av. Neotr. p. 89 (1873) —Whitely, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, p. 191, 1874, p- 677.—Elliot, Ibis, 1874, p. 334.—Id. Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 73 (1878).—Taez. Orn. du Pérou, 1. p. 376 (1884). Calligenia osculans, Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, ii. p. 300 (1876). Mr. Wuirezy collected this bird at Cachuapata and Huasampilla in Peru, and at present he appears to be the only naturalist who has met with the species. It is of about the same size as HZ. wolifera, but differs from that bird in having a stouter and longer bill, by the spot on the forehead being larger, and green instead of blue, by the tips of the tail-coverts and tail-feathers being tinged with olive-green, and by the breast being of a more brilliant green, and destitute of any crescentic greyish-white mark across the chest. Male. Crown of the head, viewed anteriorly, black, with a spot of brilliant green on the forehead, as in H.. bonapartei; back and upper tail-coverts bronzy green ; shoulders golden brown; primaries purplish black, the exterior web of the first buff; throat and breast brilliant green, with a patch of an equally brilliant blue in the centre of the former; abdomen buff, tinged and mottled with green; thighs buffy white; under tail-coverts light buff; tail-feathers deep buff, tinged with green at the tip, especially the il two centre ones; bill black. Total length 52 inches, bill 13, wing 38, tail 23, tarsi 2. Mr. Elliot says that the female differs in having no frontal or gular spot. The throat is buff, spotted with green; otherwise it resembles the male. The Plate represents an adult male in two positions, drawn from the original specimen. [R. B. S.J ee | ee Oy OI S COS OS ERE SES - %. S) —~s aN dbs = we ex oc SE EX. A ( I 5 Iu 4 InTTITTTT mg ill 2 l HNAN}dNNAiAN om 4 a & EC AvOe HELIANTHEA DICHROURA, Tazz. Jelski’s Star-frontlet. Helianthea dichroura, Taczanowski, P. Z.S. 1874, p. 188 (ex Jelski, MSS.).—Elhot, Ibis, 1874, p. 334.—Idem, Synopsis Trochil. p. 74. Calligenia dichroura, Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, tom. i. p. 309. Turis fine Humming-bird was discovered by Mr. Jelski, who has recently distinguished himself by his zoological discoveries in Peru, near Maraynioc in that country ; and he proposed the name of dchroura for it, which was adopted by Dr. Taczanowski in his original description of the bird. Mr. Elliot, who examined the types sent over by Dr. Taczanowski when they were in England, has published the following note on the species :—‘ Its principal difference from H. oscudans is in the tail, where the bronze tips of that species are extended in the present bird for one third the length of the tail- feathers, forming a very conspicuous apical band; otherwise the birds are very much alike. Whether this mark is sufticient to constitute a specific difference, with my present knowledge of the bird (having only seen the three specimens sent over), I am unable to determine; but many species of the Trochilide have been established on much slighter grounds. It looks as if it might prove to be a geographical variety of H. osculans.” The following is a translation of Dr. Taczanowski’s original description of the species :— «The adult male has the head, throat, and breast of a shining green ; the back coppery, darker and more intense on the wing-coverts ; the belly and under tail-coverts are of a nankeen-yellow without any metallic reflection; the sides only are slightly tinged with metallic green ; the anal region is pure white. At the lower part of the throat is found a fine oval spot of blue changing into glittering violet ; the forehead is occupied by a triangular emerald spot, much more brilliant than the surrounding parts. The quills are brown with a violet reflection, the outer one being bordered by a fine edging of rufous ; the tail- feathers are of a nankeen-yellow for their basal half, and coppery green for the terminal half, excepting the two centre feathers, which are of the latter colour throughout their entire length. Under wing-coverts coppery, the edge of the wing reddish. “The young bird differs from the adult in the complete absence of the brilliant spots on the throat and forehead; the coppery gloss on the back and wing-coverts is less strongly pronounced and less brilliant; the tips even of the lateral tail-feathers are of a greyish yellow. «The birds in change, which have already the jugular spot in all its brilliancy, do not possess a trace of a frontal spot, but the latter part is of the same colour as the head.” The figures in the Plate represent two males and a female, and are drawn from specimens sent to England for description by Dr. Taczanowski to Dr. Sclater, who very kindly allowed me to figure them in the present work. Miantern Bros.imp ~ i r ig 5 2 ie i fe — G KO & Il 8 IMT a4 IVI wm ony IHNVALI VAI a se ae eae a ee ee BOURCIERIA INSECTIVORA. Tschudi’s Inea. Trochilus insectivorus, Tschudi, in Wiegm. Arch. 1844, p. 298.—Id. Faun. Peruan., Aves, Dene ze: Oye cltepexexctntentcme (184446).—Gray, Hand-l. Birds, 1. p. 139, no. 1784 (1869). Bourcieria insectivora, Gould, Intr. Monogr. Trochil. p. 135 (1861).—Elliot, Ibis, 1876, p-5.—Id. Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 76 (1878).—Taczan. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1874, p. 543, 1882, p. 38.—Id. Orn. Pérou, p. 389 (1884). Homophana insectivora, Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Ois.-Mouches, ii. p. 320 (1876). Tuts species was originally discovered by Dr. von Tschudi in Peru, between Huari and Chagacancha; but the original specimen having been a female, it was difficult to determine the exact position of the species, nor was it till the year 1876 that this question was solved by Mr. D. G. Elliot. In that year Mr. Elliot, who had received a specimen of an adult male from Dr. Taczanowski, sent to the Neuchatel Museum for the type of Tschudi’s species, which was courteously forwarded by Dr. Coulon, the Director of that Museum, and thus he was enabled to compare the two specimens, and to settle that the Humming-bird forwarded by Dr. Taczanowski was the hitherto unknown male of T'schudi’s Trochilus insectivorus. The nearest ally of the present species, according to Mr. Elliot, is B. fulgidigula, from which it differs in its metallic grass-green crown, this being bluish green in the last-named species. The species was re-discovered in Peru by the well-known Polish travellers, Jelski and Stolzmann. The former met with it in Central Peru, in the valley of Vitoc, above Chilpes and at Puniamarca; the latter in Northern Peru at Huambo (8000 ft.), at Ray-Urmana (7500 ft.), and on the road from Omia to Sorritor. Mr. Stolzmann writes :—‘* We met with this Humming-bird on the flowers of the Justicia and on those of a species of Gerania, which climbed the trees to a great height. It appeared to be rare everywhere. At Huambo I killed it on the flowers of the dhcon, and at Tamiapampa I met with it on one occasion on the flowers of the Jochromia.” The following description of the sexes is given by Mr. Elliot in ‘The Ibis ’:— ‘“« Head and back of neck jet-black ; centre of the crown brilliant metallic golden green, very bright and conspicuous. Throat metallic green, this colour extending over the sides of the neck, but much less brilliant, being a kind of metallic gloss ou the black of that part. Back and upper tail-coverts metallic grass-green, Wings like the back, primaries purplish brown. Upper part of breast, extending to the green of the throat, pure white; rest of underparts and under tail-coverts shining grass-green. Median tail-feathers shining eTrass-green 5 remainder pure white tipped with green, this last becoming more extensive as it proceeds towards the outermost rectrices, which are nearly one third green from the tip, and running much further towards the base on the outer web than on the inner. ‘The billis long, straight, and pointed, black throughout. The feet flesh-colour. “The female (Tschudi’s type) differs in having the head, throat, and upper parts shining green, with none of the black observable in the male. Median rectrices green; rest white, tipped with black glossed with green. The white is much more extensive upon the tail-feathers than on those of the male; but this appears to be characteristic of the females of all the various species of the genus Bourcieria.” The Plate represents a wale and a female of the natural size, the figures being drawn from specimens lent by Mr. Elliot. [R. B. 8.] = . er —e.U = TA | SOT SB I RN | Sa ES Bi Se es 9 > a | mas — ee IRS oF Mintern Bros.unp- HLAVLIANUAAUAUATT FITYETTTSOOUAUUHAHHEU “ rt “ a i" 9° Veve: V7 \ 7OMD Yoon BOURCIERIA TRAVIESL Travies’s Inca. Diphlogena (Helianthea) traviesi, Mulsant et Verreaux, Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon, 2nd ser. xiv. vol. 1. p. 199 (1866). Budosia traviesi, Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Ois.-Mouches, iii. p. 2, pl. 1. (1877). Bourcieria traviesi, Eliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 77 (1878). Tus species, the type of which is in the celebrated collection of the late Count Turati at Milan, is an inhabitant of Colombia, but nothing is known respecting its range or exact habitat. Mr. Elliot possesses a second specimen in his collection, also from Colombia, and a third is in Messrs. Salvin and Godman’s Collection, said to have been shot near Hondo, in the valley of the Magdalena River, Colombia. The following description of the species is borrowed from Mr. Elliot’s well-known ‘Synopsis of the Trochilide, where he states that it may be told from its allies by its bronzy tail and by the metallic blue of the forehead and crown :— «Male. Forehead and centre of crown blue, graduating into greenish blue near the occiput ; remainder of the upper part of the head very dark grass-green, black insome lights. Throat green, with a small metallic- violet spot in the centre. A broad white band across the throat. Abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts glittering grass-green. Upper tail-coverts metallic violet-red. Tail dark greenish bronze. Bill black. Total length 5 inches, wing 274, tail 2s, culmen 12.” The female is unknown. Mr. Elliot kindly lent the specimen from which the two figures in the Plate are drawn, an adult male being represented in two positions and of the size of life. [R. B. S.J BOURCIERIA ASSIMILIS, Evior. Elliot's Inca. Lampropygia, sp., Elliot, Ibis, 1876, p. 58. Bourcieria assimilis, Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 79 (1878). In his paper on the genus Lampropygia (bis, 7. c.) Mr. Elliot alluded to a specimen in his collection, allied to L. prunedli, but differing in certain particulars, and apparently previously unnoticed. Failing to obtain further specimens, he described the species as new in 1878, under the name of Bourciera assimilis. He states that it came into his possession as from Ecuador, and that it is distinguished from B. prunelli by the colour of the throat, which is dark metallic purple. The following is Mr. Elliot’s detailed description :—‘* Top of head blackish brown; nape black with a bluish gloss; back black, but viewed from behind iridescent, being metallic red, graduating into golden on the rump; chin brownish black; throat metallic purple; on either side of the chest a large patch of white ; upper tail-coverts dark purple; tail purplish black; bill black. Total length 42 inches, wing 2%, tail 2, culmen 11's.” [R. B. S.J NO ee eer BOURCIERIA BOLIVIANA. Bolivian Inca. Lampropygia boliviana, Gould, Intr. Trochil. p. 1387 (1861).—Sel. & Salv. Nomenel. Av. Neotr. p. 90 (1873).—Elliot, Ibis, 1876, p. 57.—Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Ois.- Mouches, iii. p. 13. Trochilus boliianus, Gray, Hand-l. Birds, i. p- 139, no. 1789 (1869). Bourcieria boliwiana, Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 79 (1878). Tuts bird, which comes from Bolivia, bears a general resemblance to B. celigena, but differs in being of a much darker colour on the head and neck, and in having the tail dark olive-brown washed with bronze in lieu of light bronzy brown. The lower part of the back also is more richly coloured, the crescentic markings of green showing still greater lustre when viewed from behind. Total length 53 inches, bill 12, wing 32, tail 23, tarsus ¢. [R. B. S.J BOURCIERIA COLOMBIANA, Eitior. Colombian Inea. Lampropygia columbiana, Elliot, Ibis, 1876, p. 57. Bourcieria columbiana, Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 79 (1878). Tue type of this species is in Mr. Elliot’s collection from Colombia, and he states that it is the bird called by all ornithologists B. cehgena, from that province. It differs from B. celgena, however, in having the upper parts dark olive instead of coppery red, and in the tail being bright olive instead of dark rufous olive. The following description is given by Mr. Elliot :— ** Adult. Top and sides of head and nape olive-brown, with rufous reflexions; back same as head, slightly darker. Rump, viewed from behind, brilliant metallic green. Wings purple. Shoulder olive-brown. Throat white, centre of feathers blackish brown; upper part of breast smoky white, darker towards the abdomen, which, together with the flanks, is very dark rufous-brown. Under tail-coverts reddish brown ; central portion of the feathers blackish brown. Tail olive-brown. Bill black. Feet black. Total length 54 inches, wing 3, tail 2, culmen lesa [R. B. S.J Tri iw wi Per wes Nw DORIFERA RECTIROSTRIS, Gowa. Ecuadorean Lance-bill. Doryfera rectirostris, Gould, Intr. Monogr. Trochil. 8vo, p. 71 (1861).—Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, i. p. 202 (1874). Doryphora rectirostris, Sclater & Salv. Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p. 82 (1878). Hemistephania rectirostris, Elhot, Synopsis of the Tumming-Birds, p. 81 (1878). I nave retained for the sake of uniformity the name Dorifera for the birds of the present genus, as it was employed by me in the previous volumes of this Monograph; but I admit that the more correct form of writing it would be Doryphora, as adopted by Messrs. Sclater and Salvin in their ‘ Nomenclator Avium Neotropicalium.’ In point of fact the name Doryphora will have to be suppressed among the Trochilide ; for it has already been employed by Illiger in entomology, and therefore the proper generic name to be used is Hemistephania of Reichenbach, as employed by Mr. Elliot. D. rectirostris comes from Ecuador, where it replaces the Colombian D. dudovicie, of which, in fact it is only a larger race with a somewhat longer bull. The following is a copy of the original description published by me in the ‘ Introduction : "— Bill and feet black; tarsi clothed with brown feathers; forehead brilliant glittering green ; crown and back of the neck reddish bronze, passing into dull green on the back; upper tail-coverts washed with blue; tail black, tipped with greyish brown, largely on the external feathers, slightly on the middle ones ; ander surface olive ; under tail-coverts grey ; wings purplish brown. I have not given a figure of this species, as there is not sufficient difference between it and D. ludovicie to be shown in a Plate DORIFERA EUPHROSIN A, Mus. & Verr. Mulsant’s Lance-bill. Dorifera euphrosine, Mulsant & Verreaux, Ann. Soe. Linn. Lyon, xvii. p. 319 (1870-71).— Muls. Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, 1. p. 198 (1874). Doryphora euphrosine, Selater & Salv. Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p. 82 (1873). Hemistephania euphrosine, Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 81 (1878). I wave never seen the male of this species, which, however, appears to be known to Mr. Elliot, who regards ‘tas distinct from D. dudovicie on account of its small size and the peculiar bluish-green colour of the 5 sor “ 1 Jor = = frontal spot. I have in my collection a female collected by Mr. Edward Bartlett in the Peruvian Amazons, which I believe to be referable to D. euphrosine, the habitat of which is sapposed to be Ecuador. TOF Wa oe ce DORIFERA VERAGUENSIS, Salvin. Veraguan Lance-bill. Dorifera veraquensis, Salvin, Proc. Zool. Soe. 1867, p. 154. Hemistephania veraguensis, Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 82 (1878). Tue very dark shade of the green under-surface, coupled with the metallic green forehead, which is darker than in D. ludovici@, serves to render this species recognizable from the last-named bird. It was described by Mr. Osbert Salvin from Veraguan skins collected by Enrique Arce ; and I have a skin in my collection said to be from Costa Rica; but there may be some doubt as to the correctness of this locality. Mr. Salvin published the followwing remarks when first calling attention to the distinctness of the Veraguan bird :—‘‘ There seems to be considerable individual variation between members of this species ; or I should be inclined to separate, as a distinct race, the bird found in Veragua, a single specimen only of which has as yet reached me. The shining forehead is considerably darker and of a bluer shade, the bill longer, and the under plumage blacker than in a New Granadian specimen of D. ludovicie before me ; the wings, too, are shorter. Should the receipt of additional specimens confirm the constancy of these distinctions, I propose for this race the name of Dorifera veraguensis.” The Plate represents two males and a female bird, drawn from specimens lent to me by Messrs. Salvin and Godman. HELIOMASTER ALBICRISSA, Gowda. White-vented Star-throat. Heliomaster albicrissa, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1871, p. 504.—Sclater & Salvin, Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p. 90 (1873).—Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, ii. p. 274 (1876). Floricola albicrissa, Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 83 (1878). Mr. Exxior has placed the present species in the genus FYoricola; but as the term Heliomaster has hitherto been used in this work as the generic name for these Humming-birds, we continue the practice. The following is a copy of the original remarks and description :— “In size it is about the same as HZ. /ongirostris and its near allies ; but it differs from them all in having a bill and a much redder throat-mark, in the white spot on the external tail-feather still larger and longer part of the abdomen being white, in the under tail-coverts being being longer or larger, in the lower greyish white, instead of blackish green, with lighter edges, and in the glittering feathers of the crown being of as pale, or nearly as pale a green as in the H. pallidiceps of Mexico. As the peculiar markings of the tail and the under tail-coverts do not occur in H. longirostris of Trinidad and some parts of Venezuela, nor in the H. sclateri of Costa Rica, I am induced to regard the present bird as new. ‘Throat fiery reddish purple ; crown light glistening green; upper surface and two central tail-feathers een, with the usual white mark in the centre of the back; four outer feathers on each side bronzy black towards the end, and tipped with white, the external one more largely than the flanks bronzy grey; centre of the abdomen white ; bill black. bronzy gr green, becoming nearly others ; wings purplish brown ; chest grey; «Total length 4% inches, bill 18, wing 1%, tail 12, tarsi 4. «« Hab. Citado, Ecuador.” (R. B. S.J = VVNQQNN)INULGUULLYLITOPITANHNTTTFTTULY ITAA ae Care va p HELIANGELUS MICRASTUR, Gow. Ecuadorian Star-frontlet. Heliangelus micraster, Gould, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) ix. p. 195 (1872).—Sel. & Sally. Nomencel. Ay. Neotr. p. 89 (1873). Helymus micrastur, Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, iii. p. 93 (1876). Heliotrypha micrastur, Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 88 (1878).—Taezanowski, Proc. Zool. Soe. 1880, p. 205. I am inclined to agree with Mr. Elliot that it is better to place the present species in the genus Helotrypha than in LZelangelus, to which I have assigned it in the present work, its strongly forked tail, and the absence of any white band on the breast, allying it more to the members of the former genus. It has also been made the type of a distinct one, Helymus, by M. Mulsant; but, as Mr. Elliot well remarks, this was entirely unnecessary. I regret that my Plate was lettered before I could alter the generic name to Heliotrypha. The genus Heliotrypha, therefore, as limited in Mr. Elliot’s Synopsis, consists of four species :—Z. viola, from Ecuador, with the throat metallic purplish violet; 2. evortis, from Ecuador and Colombia, with the throat metallic pinkish lilac; 4. micrastur, from Ecuador, with the throat metallic flame-colour ; and ZZ. barrali, from Colombia, with a pale metallic olive-green throat. The following is a copy of my original note on this species :—‘I have in my collection two specimens of this new bird, one of which is much brighter and finer than the other. They were collected in the locality above mentioned, by one of Mr. Clarence Buckley’s hunters. In size this species is much smaller than any other member of this genus, even than Heliangelus mavors. My specimens differ also from all of them in the absence of a white or buff band across the chest, in which respect they assimilate to H. Parzudaki [= evxortis], but not in the forked tail and other respects. I think it probable they are somewhat immature, and that, beautiful as they are, fully adult examples will be still finer.” Bill black; on the forehead a band of glittering green; crown of the head, all the upper surface of the body, and the shoulders bronzy green ; chest and flanks of the same hue, but rather brighter ; centre of the abdomen mottled brown and green; on the throat an exceedingly lustrous spot of orange-scarlet, exceeding in brilliancy the colouring of the same part of any other member of this beautiful genus yet discovered ; wings purplish brown ; four central tail-feathers bronzy green, the remainder black ; thighs brown; under tail-coverts white; feet dark brown, nearly black. Total length 3% inches, bill 4, wing 23, tail 23, tarsi z. Since the discovery of this bird by Mr. Buckley, it has been met with in the winter months by Mr. Stolzmann in Northern Peru, near Cutervo, at an elevation of from 9600 to 9800 feet above the sea-level. Habitat. San Lucas, near Loxa, in Ecuador. On the Plate are represented an adult and a young male, both of which were kindly lent me by Messrs. Salvin and Godman. HELIOTRYPHA BARRALLI, Mubs. & Verr. Olive-throated Humming-bird. Heliotrypha barrali, Mulsant et Verreaux, Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon, xvii. p. 108 (1868).— Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 88 (1878). Heliangelus squamigularis, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1871, p. 503. Nodalia barrali, Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, iii. p. 100 (1877). Tue specimen which we described as Heliangelus squamegularis struck us at the time as being very peculiar, and we mentioned that it appeared to be allied to Heliotrypha parzudaku and Heliangelus clarisse. Mr. D. G. Elliot, in his ‘Synopsis,’ places it at the end of the genus Heliotrypha and just before the genus Heliangelus, showing that our position for the species was not badly chosen, though Mr. Elliot places it in the genus Hediotrypha, and in this he is no doubt right. The four species of Heliotrypha differ from each other in the colour of the throat, and this in the present bird is most peculiar, being well described by Mr. Elliot as of a ‘ pale metallic olive-green” colour. Its habitat is the province of Antioquia, in the United States of Colombia. The following is Mr. Elliot’s description of the type, which is in bis collection :— « Adult male. Top of head very dark green, almost black in certain lights. ‘Throat pale metallic olive- green, silvery in some lights, margined with a line of black. Rest of plumage of body shining grass-green, most brilliant on the breast. Wings purplish brown. Median rectrices bronzy green; lateral ones blue-black. Under tail-coverts green in the centre, the remaining parts greyish white. Bill black. ‘Total length 4 inches, wing 23, tail 1, culmen $.” The Plate represents a male bird in two positions, and is drawn from the specimen in the Gould collection. [R. B. 8.] ) Ook a che so PY nee 2 4-e J.Gould, &WHart del. ct lith HALIUTA AA ALICIA UTTTE a Ye ms , i" UROSTICTE RUFICRISSA, Lawrence. Red-vented White-tip. Urosticte ruficrissa, Lawrence, Annals of the Lyceum of Nat. Hist. New Bor epny Ieper (1864).—Sclater & Salv. Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p. 87 (1873).—Muls. Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, iii. p. 103 (1876).—Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 90 (1878). Tur genus Urosticte was established by me in my introduction to the present Monograph for the reception of the single species at that time known, U. benjamini. The bill is much longer than the head, and straight, the tail being slightly forked, and the tarsi clothed. One special characteristic is the beautiful luminous throat ; while the sexes are different in colour; the female being much less brightly plumaged. Its nearest ally would appear to be the genus Heliangelus, which it resembles in form of Dill, this being straight as in the last-named genus, but more slender. Since finishing my Monograph a second species of Urosticte has been described by my friend Mr. G. N. Lawrence, who has bestowed on it the appropriate name of U. ruficrissa. It is nearly allied to U. benjamini, and, like that species, has the central tail-feathers bronzy and tipped with white ; it wants, however, the beautiful violet spot on the throat, which is so conspicuous in the above-named bird, having this part entirely ereen; and it is further distinguished by its rufous under tail-coverts. The home of the present bird, like that of its congener, is Ecuador. Mr. Elliot, in bis excellent ‘ Synopsis,’ bas given a very good diagnosis for the species, which I here reproduce :— “Male. General plumage dark shining green. Throat luminous grass-green. Wings purplish brown. Under tail-coverts rufous. Tail pale bronze-green, with the four median feathers tipped with white. Bill black, feet brown. Total Jength 4 inches, wing 2, tail 23, culmen 3.” «Female. Exactly like the female of U. benjamini, but slightly larger and with a Jonger bill.” The Plate represents two males and a female, drawn from the typical specimens lent to me by Mr. Lawrence. UROSTICTE INTERMEDIA, Peruvian White-tip. Urosticte intermedia, Tacz. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 36.—Id. Orn. du Pérou, i. p. 3851 (1884). Tus species was discovered by M. Stolzmann in Peru, at Chirimoto and Ray-urmana. Dr. Taczanowski records it as a form intermediate between the two species already known, and closely allied to U. benjamini, but larger, with the spot on the throat not so large, of another shade of colour and, at the same time, less metallic, with the under wing-coverts of another colour, the spot behind the eye much smaller and with scarcely any whitish space on the lower throat, the bill also being more slender and the centre tail-feathers shorter than in the allied species. The following is a translation of Dr. Taczanowski’s original description :— Adult male. Brilliant golden green above, the feathers on the top of the head somewhat scaly; the throat and fore part of the neck covered with scaly plumes of glittering green under certain lights, followed by a triangular spot of dull and not very shining violet; breast and abdomen green, the feathers in the centre of these parts broadly edged with greyish white; under tail-coverts reddish with a green disk ; anal region white; a very small white spot behind the eye. The wings reach to the end of the centre tail-feathers, with the upper and lower tail-coverts of the same colour as the body; quills brown, with a violet lustre, changing to olive under certain lights. Tail deeply forked, with the tail-feathers of moderate size, the middle ones the shortest, the outer one scarcely extending beyond the penultimate one, green at the base and of a dull reddish copper-colour on the terminal half; the middle and adjoining feathers broadly tipped with white, the former with a small brown spot at the extreme end; lower aspect of the tail less brilliant, of a bronzy olive colour, slightly glossed with reddish towards the extremity of the tail- feathers, the colour being distinctly more brilliant on the four feathers in the middle of the tail. Bill black ; feet blackish brown; iris black. The female and young birds are also described by Dr. Taczanowski, and they evidently differ from the male in the same manner as the other species of the genus. [R. B. S.] Wy Tron PrD. Halter, 9p: EUSTEPHANUS LEYBOLDI, Gowa., Leybold’s Firecrown. Eustephanus leyboldi, Gould, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 4th series, vol. vi. p. 406.—Seclater, Ibis, 1871, p. 181.—Reed, Ibis, 1874, p. 84.—Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux- Mouches, p. 256.—Elliot, S Synopsis Trochil. p. 94. Axour ten years ago Dr. Leybold, of the Santiago Museum, Chili, was in London, and frequently visited my house, when we bad several conversations respecting the Humming-birds of the Juan-Fernandez group, concerning which he had much to tell me. Amongst other things which interested me greatly was the information Dr. Leybold gave about the Firecrowns of Juan Fernandez. He promised me that on his return to Chili he would send a collector and get me specimens, if possible, from the group, which promise he faithfully fulfilled, with the result that a new species of Humming-bird was found to exist on the hitherto unexplored island of Mas-a-fuera. I described the species in 1870 from specimens presented to me by Dr. Leybold; and in attaching that gentleman’s name to it I was only adding one more acknowledgment of his zeal and devotion to the Museum under his charge, while at the same time it expressed my own personal obligations to him for his kindness in seeking out the specimens for me. It is an interesting fact in connexion with the present species that it is only the female bird that gives characters for specific separation from 2. fernandensis. It is an unusual thing for species to be founded on the female birds ; but there are several parallel cases known to ornithologists where the males are nearly alike, while the females are quite different. The following description of the species is taken from my original account of L. leybold:. It has a glittering crown, and is in many respects very similar to the bird usually called Z. stokes, but differs in having a longer bill, and in the spots on the throat being bronzy and disposed in lines down that part of the under surface and the flanks, as in ZL. galeritus, stead of being generally dispersed over the throat and clustered on the face, as in Z. stokesi; but the greatest difference between the two consists in the colouring of the tail-feathers, those of Z. stokesi having their outer w ebs green, and their inner ones wholly white, while in the present bird the outer webs and the basal portion of the inner ones are green, and only the apical portion of the latter white. Total length 43 inches, bill +6, wing 2%, tail 2, tarsus The figures in the Plate are drawn from the ty key specimens in my collection, and represent a pair of ce oo birds of the size of life. EUSTEPHANUS Sod &W Hare, del et lech WALL LALA LATGTUyATa THT _ "i wi y I" Walter Imp. ME en he EUSTEPHANUS FERNANDENSIS. Cinnamon Firecrown. Trochilus fernandensis, King, Proc. Zool. Soc. part 1. p. 30.—Gray, Handl. B. i. p. 147, no. 1899. Trochilus stokes, King, tom. cit. p. 30.—Lesson, Troch. p. 135. pl. 50—Jard. Naturalist’s Library, Humming Birds, ii. p. 55, pl. 5. Ornismya cinnamomea, Gerv. Mag. de Zool. v. Oiseaux, pl. 43. Ornismya robinson, Lesson, Oiseaux-Mouches, Velins, pl. 7.—De Lattre & Less. Rev. Zool. 1839, p. 18. Mellisuga stokesn, Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 113. Mellisuga grayi, Gray, tom. cit. p. 113. Sephanoides stokesn, Bonap. Consp. Av. i. p. 82.—Id. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 256. Sephanordes fernandensis, Bonap. Consp. Av. i. p. 82.—Id. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p: 265. Eustephanus stokes, Gould, Monogr. Trochil. iv. pl. 266. Justephanus fernandensis, Gould, Monogr. Trochil. iv. pl. 267.—Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. ii. p. 76.—Scl. & Salv. Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p. 90.—Reed, Ibis, 1874, poe Muls. Oiseaux-Mouches, p. 76.—Elliot, Synopsis Trochil. p. 93. Amonesr the advantages which the issue of the present ‘Supplement’ bestows on me may be reckoned the opportunity which it gives of correcting certain mistakes in the ‘Monograph,’ which were due to the imperfect knowledge possessed by ornithologists at the period when the latter work was written. Such a case is the present, in which, from lack of the requisite knowledge, I figured the two sexes of the Cinnamon Firecrown as distinct species, under the names of L. fernandensis and E. stokesii; and now that Iam giving for the first time a Plate of the more recently discovered L. /eyboldi, 1 have seized the opportunity to refigure the two sexes of EL. fernandensis. The Juan-Fernandez group of islands was for a long time almost a ¢evra incognita to the naturalist; and until Dr. Sclater published a list in ‘The Ibis’ of 1871 we were ignorant of the number of birds inhabiting them. The largest island of the group is Mas-a-tierra, or Juan Fernandez, which is situated about 380 miles from the coast of Chili; and the second is named Mas-a-fuera, which is about 450 miles from the Chilian coast. There are also a number of small islets belonging to the group. On these two islands no less than three species of Humming-birds are known to exist, one of them, E. galeritus, a well-known Chilian species, being found on Mas-a-tierra. To this same island, however, is confined Eustephanus fernandensis, while £. leyboldi inhabits Mas-a-fuera. The group was first visited by a naturalist in 1825, when Captain King procured some Humming-birds on Mas-a-tierra, and named them as belonging to two distinct species, without apparently suspecting they were sexes of the same bird. Indeed so different in style of coloration are the male and female of E. fernandensis, that any one might be excused for considering them distinct. When Mr. Bridges visited the same island in 1854, he brought back a large number of specimens both of L. fernandensis and of the so-called Z. stokesii, but without a single indication as to the sexes of the specimens, which were examined by me at the time. According to Dr. Sclater, however, Mr. Bridges was quite aware that E. stokesic was only the female bird; for he himself informed the late M. Jules Verreaux of the fact in a conversation he had with him in Paris after his return from South America (Ibis, 1871, p. 179, note). Ican only say that not the slightest indication of this was noted on Mr. Bridges’s specimens ; nor was I informed of it by Mr. Cuming, who was his agent. Mr. E. C. Reed, of the Santiago Museum, who visited Juan Fernandez in 1870 and again in 1872, says that he dissected all the specimens he shot, and found that in all cases the red birds were males, and the ereen females. ‘It is” he remarks, “a very strong bird. It hovers over flowers, then darts away like an i. to a distance of several hundred yards; I have never seen any other small bird fly so rapidly. It feeds principally from the beautiful purple flowers of the a It has a loud eae Chive Mr. Bridges found the bird so fearless of man that it could be killed with a stick, so close did it approach. On a closer acquaintance with man it would appear to have become more shy during the twenty years that have elapsed since that gentleman visited the island. We AOVoOA short description of the old red male and the adult green female, with the addition of s, which differ from their parents by having no bright colouring on the \ in the illustration more clearly than in any description I could write. llic fiery red ; the entire plumage of the body and colouring of the imaries and secondaries purplish brown; vent I will now give a the full-grown young of both sexe crown. This anomaly will be seet Old male-—Forechead and crown meta tail-feathers deep cinnamon-red ; wing-coverts the same; pr buffy white ; bill black. Young male.—Like the old male, except the cr spurious wing green ; whitish green runs up the shoulder. Old female.—Crown of the head metallic bluish green, with a bronzy lustre ; wings purplish brown, the ith green ; the central tail-feathers and the outer webs of the four next on each side webs of these lateral feathers white, deepening into green at the tip of the outer ie end of each feather of chin, throat, and own, which has not the slightest trace of metallic red; the spurious wing glossed Ww grass-green; the inner webs, under surface white with a spangle of shining green at tl flanks, the spangles being (in consequence of the smaller size of the feathers) most numerous on the chin; under tail-coverts white with green centres. The young female is like the old female; but she has no glittering feathers on the crown. HYLONYMPHA MACROCERGCA, Gow. Great Forked-tailed Humming-bird. Hylonympha macrocerea, Gould, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1873, vol. xii. p. 429.—Elhot, Synopsis of the Trochilidee, p. 79.—Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Ois.-Mouches, tom. iii. Deore In looking over the above references it will be seen that seven years have passed since I first became acquainted with this fine bird. Mr. Whitely, of Woolwich, called on me one day unexpectedly, and said “‘T have a fine new Humming-bird to show you; and if you wish it, it may be placed in your cabinet ; and afterwards this unique specimen may be figured in your Supplement.” For this offer I te thanks, saying that the public would be as much gratified as I was. obtain the female, as well as more males. ndered my I then urged him to do all he could to He answered :—‘‘No perseverance shall be wanting on my part ; but I shall not easily succeed. Few of the public know that a considerable trade is carried on between Brazil and London almost solely in birds’ skins and feathers ; these are only for decoration. Humming- birds of any kind are preferred for the skirts of ladies’ dresses, the hair, and bonnets. Few of the birds are shot; the rich landlords employ their slaves, who set finely meshed nets in the glades of the forest to catch them.” Thousands of the beautiful ruby and topaz Humming-birds are sent to this metropolis every year. As these seldom undergo a critical examination, it has frequently struck me that my new bird was imported in this way. But after waiting seven years for the female without success, and no other male appearing, I had determined to give a representation of the unique male. Suddenly all these plans were frustrated by the arrival of seventy males and two females, to the astonishment of every person fond of Humming-birds. Every Trochilidist wondered how so large a bird could have escaped the notice of travellers, and particularly traders in such countries as Brazil, and with myself have eagerly desired to ascertain the particular district of that huge empire it inhabits. This is now, I think, positively known. Mr. Henry Whitely states, this bird lives in the ‘“‘ Matura district, Manawas, on the river Bia, North Brazil.” The great number of males which arrived the other day showed me that some variety exists in that SEX ; in some the longest tail-feathers are pointed, in others rounded, the latter being two inches shorter than the former. Its nearest ally is Heliodowa leadbeateri, and not Thalurana (as first suggested in the ‘Annals’). Bill stout, somewhat curved, a little longer than the head; wings rather long and falciform; feet and toes small; tarsi clothed; tail ample, deeply forked, and larger in comparison with the size of the body than that of any other member of the family. Crown of the head glittering blue, with a reflection of green towards the edges; throat very fine green, passing into dull green on the ae abdomen black, glossed with green ; feathers clothing the tarsi dark brown on the outer side, and white on the Inner under tail- coverts black; all the ten feathers of the tail, the outer ones of which are very broad, a uniform steel-black. Total length 83 inches, bill 1, wing 22, tail 6, tarse ae The female differs from the male in that it has a much shorter tail and is very much varied in colour. The bill is like that of the male; and of the form of the wing the same may be said. The colouring of the tail of the female is very variable; the outer feather is tipped with greyish white as in my illustration, : j 4 asur > S amatle while the long swinging tail of the male is black from end to end. The admeasurements of the female Sr eae Pedaars x oo ~ yl Os are—total length about 5% inches, wing 22, tarse «. The Plate represents male and female, natural size. THALURANIA HYPOCHLORA, Gow. Citado Wood-Nymph. Thalurania hypochlora, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soe., 1870, p. 804.—Salvin & Elliot, Ibis, 1873, p- 360.—Elhot, Synopsis of the Trochilide, no. 102.—Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Ois.-Mouches, tom. iti. p. 66. Tur discovery of this fine Wood-Nymph is due to Mr. Buckley, who procured both sexes at Citado, in Ecuador. Soon afterwards these specimens came into my possession, and, I am happy to say, are in fine condition. If we examine the adult male it will be found that the crown of the head is a beautiful green like the under surface, the uniform green colour of which forms one of this bird’s chief characteristics. The Brazilian bird, Thalurania glaucopis, somewhat resembles it; but that bird has the crown blue and not green like Z. Aypochlora or many other Wood-Nymphs. It also has been compared to 7. verticeps, and others have been considered somewhat like it. It is in the green colour of the crown being the same as that of the under surface that 7. hAypochlora differs from any other Wood-Nymph. As might be expected in a bird so recently discovered, nothing has been recorded of its habits, which must be like those of its near allies. The colouring of the male may be thus described :—Three parts of the crown and entire underparts of the body a beautiful green; upper surface (that is, from the occiput to the tail-coverts) deep grass- green, with a beautiful patch of blue on the shoulder extending for a short distance onto each side of the Bicast; under tail-coverts blackish blue, edged with white; bill black ; feet brownish black. Female. All the upper surface grass-green; throat, abdomen, and under tail-coverts grey, darker and inclining to green on the flanks; tail purplish black, slightly tipped with white, the white tipping being of lesser extent than on the outer feathers. Size rather less than that of male. Total length of male 4 inches, bill %, wing 23, tail 12. Habitat. Citado, in Ecuador. The Plate represents two males and a female, of the natural size. WH CQ a I Comoe et aS 5 GUIS Mintern Bros. ump: THALURANIA JELSKILI. Jelski’s Wood-Nymph. Thalurama jelsku, Tacz. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1874, p- 188.—Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, m1. p. 70 (1877).—Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 101 (1878).— Kudes-Deslongchamps, Ann. Mus. d’Hist. Nat. de Caen, 1. p. 320 (1880). Orn. du Pérou, i. p. 295 (1884). | Tacz. Jeusxis Wood-Nymph was discovered by the well-known Polish traveller after whom the species Is named, at Soriano in Peru. Mr. Elliot writes concerning the present bird:—‘*This is a diminutive of 7. nigrofasciata; and there is absolutely no difference between the two except in size. The rectrices of 7. yelski are narrow, but not more so than accords with its dimensions. I compared the type with specimens of 7. negrofasciata, and could distinguish no difference, save that 7. jelskii was a little smaller.” The Plate represents the adult male in three positions, and is drawn from a specimen lent to us by Dr. Taczanowski. [R. B. S.J THALURANIA FURCATOIDES, Gouwia. Para Wood-Nymph. Thalurania furcatoides, Gould, Monogr. Trochil. 1. text to Th. JSurcata.—ld. Intr. Trochil. 8vo, p. 77 (1861).—Sclater & Salvin, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 584.—Salvin & Elliot, Ibis, 1873, p. 857.—Sclater & Salvin, Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p. 83 (1873).— Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, ui. p. 73 (1877).—Elhot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 100 (1878).—Eudes-Deslongchamps, Ann. Mus. d’Hist. Nat. de Caen, i. p. 317 (1880). Thalurania forficata, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. iii. p. 24 (1860).—Gould, Intr. Trochil. ped (USO): Polytmus furcatoides, Gray, Hand-list of Birds, i. p. 130, no. 1655 (1869). the Lower Amazons seems to differ constantly from J. furcata of Tue species of Thalurania from ! ) Cayenne in being smaller, in having the tail less forked, and the breast ultramarine blue instead of purplish blue. We have seen some specimens con it is true J. furcata or T. furcatoides which was procured by Natterer at Barro do Rio Nigro, only an examination of specimens can decide (cf. Pelzeln, Orn. Bras. p. 30). The type of Zh. forficata of Cabanis and Heine was sent from Berlin and examined by the late Mr. Gould, but he did not identify it for certain with his Z. furcatoides. _ Messrs. Salvin and Elliot es > (/. c.) have, however, no doubt as to its being synonymous. from Para which bore out these differences ; but whether [R. B. S.J MICROCHERA PARVIROSTRIS. Purple Snowcap. Panychlora parvirostris, Lawr. Proc. Acad. Phil. 1865, p. 39. Microchera parvirostris, Salvin, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p- 154.—Lawr. Ann. of the Lyceum of Nat. Hist. of New York, 1870, p- 122.—Elhot, Synopsis, 1879, p. 104.— Muls. Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, vol. iii. p. 137. Ix this new Snoweap the silky white covering of the crown is wider, longer, and seems to stand out further over the crown, overshadowing the eyes; all the upper surface, from the occiput to the upper tail-coverts, is reddish purple ; this colour extends over the shoulders and the chest down to the lower part of the belly ; but here the purple is not quite so brilliant. There are light-grey hairy feathers under the tail of my birds, which appear to drop on the slightest touch; the bill is straight and elegantly formed; wings very long and curved, primaries purplish brown. The throat- and ear-coverts consist of small scaled feathers of a greenish colour, which stand out conspicuously from the rest. The following description is from the pen of Mr. Lawrence ; and it gives me great pleasure to repeat it in my letterpress. Mr. Lawrence states :—‘‘ My name for this species was proposed for the female ; the male (since received) is very beautiful, of which I add the following description :—Front and crown pure white; lores black; the rest of the plumage above and below is of an exceedingly rich purplish crimson; upper tail-coverts coppery red; the four central tail-feathers are coppery bronze; the others are of a whitish grey for about half their length, gradually becoming purplish black, the extreme ends white; wings brownish purple; bill and feet black. “Total length of male 3 inches, wing 1s, tail , bill 1. ‘“Remarks.—Although resembling JZ. albocoronata in its white crown, this species is quite different in colouring. In MZ albocoronata the plumage is black, washed with carmine, in some lights appearmg to be entirely black. In JZ. parvirostris the plumage is clear and uniform in colour, not appearing black in any position. The tail is rounded; and the black colouring at the end is quite different from that of A. albo- coronata, in which the tail is even, and it has a strongly defined subterminal black band.” In the Plate there are three males and one female; the latter I will now attempt to describe. The bill is rather curved and longer than the head ; crown, underpart of the neck, shoulders, back, and upper tail- coverts bronzy green ; the tail-feathers are short, the middle ones uniform and bronzy in colour, the three outer bluish grey; the same colour runs on the triangular tips of each of the lateral feathers ; the throat and all the under surface is light grey ; feet small, with greyish feathers about halfway down the tarsus. Female. Total length 2%, wing 13, tail 4, bill s. SELASPHORUS TORRIDUS, sawin. Torrid Flame-bearer. Selasphorus torridus, Salvin, Proc. Zool. Soe. 1870, p- 208.—Scelater & Salvin, Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p- 84 (1873).—Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, iv. p. 101 (1877).— Elhot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 112 (1878). Mr. Sarvin gives the characters of this Humming-bird species is peculiar, having a somewhat faded appearance. The tint is not brilliant red as in §. scintidla, nor does it resemble the gorget of §. platycercus, but is altogether of a more lilac hue. However, six males, sent by Arcé, are all so exactly alike, that I cannot but Suppose that the normal colour of the throat is shown. The lateral plumes of the throat, too, are elongate, reminding one of Atthis heloise, and thus render the species distinct from all Selasphori except 8. scintilla, from which it differs widely in other respects. The most nearly allied species appears to be S. flammula, Saly. (P. Z. S. 1864, p- 986), which, however, has a differently coloured throat, as well as distinctive ch as follows :—* The coloration of the throat of this aracters in the tail.” The present bird has, as yet, only been met with on the volcano of Chiriqui, in Ver As with the other two species of Sedasphorus, 1 Mr. Elliot :-— ‘“‘ Male. Upper parts dark shining grass-green. agua. append the diagnosis of §. ¢orridus, as given by Throat shining lilac-red, silvery in certain lights. Feathers on the side of the neck elongated, same colour as the throat. Breast and middle of abdomen white. Flanks green. Under tail-coverts buffy white. Median rectrices bronze-green; lateral ones purplish black, all except the two outer ones margined with rufous. Wings purplish brown. Maxilla black ; mandible flesh-colour, tip black. Total length 23 inches, wing 18, tail 14, culmen 2. “Female. Head brownish; upper parts green. Underparts whitish; feathers of throat spotted with brown. Flanks rufous. Tail black; base of three outer feathers rufous, and tips white; next two margined with rufous ; middle feathers green.” SELASPHORUS HENSHAWYI, eEvioz Henshaw’s Flame-bearer. Trochilus rufus, Henshaw, Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, ii. p. 54 (1877, nee Gm.). Selasphorus henshawi, Elliot, Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, ii. p. 102 (1877).—Id. Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 111 (1878). Tuts is a species which I failed to distinguish from the true S. iT (Gm.) in my previous works, as ate have many other writers on Humming-birds. Mr. H. W. Henshaw, in a paper published in the ‘ Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club of July 1877, pointed out that under the name of Selasphorus rufus a distinct bird, differing in having the tail-feathers next to the centre ones pointed and notched, occurred um California; and he proposed to call this new form S. adleni, after Mr. C. a Allen, of Nicasi0 in California. A good account of the habits and distribution is given in Mr. Henshaw’s geysers bul in ie sea oe of the ‘ Bulletin’ Mr. D. G. Elliot has shown that it is the bird with the pomted tail-feathers which Hs the true 8. rufus of Gmelin, and consequently the species with the notch in the tail-feathers Polo requires a new title; and this Mr. Elliot conferred on the species by naming it Selasphorus henshawi. I refer my readers for a full account of the species to the article above referred to, and I give a copy of Mr. Elliot’s description of S. henshawi. “Male. Top of head metallic green ; intermixed with the rufous ones on the back. Breast and centre of abdomen white; flanks and under tail-coverts rufous. Tail rufous, tipped with dark brown ; feathers pointed at tip, median pair broad ; lateral ones growing narrower to the outermost, which On the inner web, near the tip of the rectrices next the median pair, is a well- upper parts cinnamon ; but some specimens have green feathers Throat metallic-orange, not brilliant as in the other species. is the most attenuated. developed notch. Bill black. Total length 3% inches, wing 12, tail 1%, culmen 3. «« Female. Entire upper parts shining grass-green, dullest on the crown. Throat white, spotted with brown. Underparts white, washed with rufous on the breast and flanks. Under tail-coverts buff. Median rectrices green; lateral ones rufous at base, then a band of metallic green, succeeded by a subterminal broad black bar, and tips white. Bill black. Total length 32 inches, wing 14, tail 13, culmen ¢. Young males are similar to the females, with a few metallie spots on the throat.” The home of this species is stated to be from Mexico northwards along the Pacific coast to Sitka. RFLAMMULA . Salvi. ARDENS , SgAin HAAHIUVAAVYLULTHAUTTTTTyOOTATTA TUTTE ri Y 7" a , SELASPHORUS ARDENS, Salvin. ° 9 | Salvin’s Flame-bearer. A Selasphorus ardens, Salvin, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 209.—Scel. & Salv. Nomencl. Av. Neotr. Hh P- 84 (1873).—Muls. Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, iv. p- 103 (1877).—Elliot, NA HA Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 110 (1878). | Tue species of the genus Selasphorus, as pointed out by Mr. Elliot, are distinguished by tel calonaoaatners WA throats ; and in the present species and SS. platycercus the throat has been characterized by him as “dark amethystine-red.” 8. ardens differs from S. platycercus in being smaller, and in having the flanks and | abdomen dark green instead of grey. Mr. Salvin has given the following notes on the species — | “This species has the throat coloured just as in JS. platycercus, which is in other respects a very different i species. Its nearest allies, however, are §. flammula and S. torridus ; but it differs from both in the | coloration of the throat, and also in having the central tail-feathers black, edged with rufous instead of green: this latter distinction is more conspicuous when the tail is compared with that of S. flammula. | The wholly black bill and the absence of the elongated gular feathers distinguish it from 4S. torridus. | The male sent by Arcé is not in quite perfect plumage, but is so far satisfactory as to show a few faded | feathers on the throat. These are bronzy, and quite different in colour from the gorget-feathers of either S. flammula or S. torridus.” | The following complete description of the sexes has been borrowed from Mr. Elliot’s work above alluded | | \E i@ == | “* Male. Upper parts dark bronzy green, lores and ear-coverts rufous, the latter mixed with black. Throat metallic amethystine-red. Breast, middle of abdomen, and under tail-coverts white, flanks dark green, which | colour almost meets on the upper part of breast. Tail purplish-black, both webs of middle feathers and inner webs of lateral ones margined with rufous. Wings purplish brown. Bill black. Total length = Inches, wing 12, tail 12, culmen 3. “ Female. Upper parts bronzy green, margined with rufous on the sides of lower part of back and rump. | Throat buffy white, spotted with brown. Breast white. Underparts buff. Middle tail-feathers bronzy green, lateral ones buff with a black bar across their central part. Bill black.” I am indebted to Messrs. Salvin and Godman for the loan of the pair of birds from which the figures in the Plate are taken. | Ht Rosy-throated Flame-bearer. HH AN | Selasphorus flammula, Salvin, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 586.—Scl. & Salv. Nomencl. Av. HH Neotr. p. 84 (1873).—Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, iv. p. 99 (1877).— | | | Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 110 (1878). a metallic rosy-red colour, which renders it a conspicuous bird. Its | | The throat in this species is of a; and nothing seems to be known of its habits, which, habitat appears to be confined to Costa Rica and Veragu however, are doubtless similar to those of the other Selasphori. i HH The descriptions of both sexes are here copied from Mr. Elliot’s work above quoted :— . ‘‘ Male. Upper parts shining grass-green. ‘Throat metallic rose-red. Breast and middle of abdomen white. a NOR ZO¥:% Flanks buff mixed with green. Wings purplish brown. Under tail-coverts white. Tail purplish black, ntre pair slightly washed with green on outer webs. Maxilla black, mandible 3 margined with rufous, the ce flesh-colour, tip black. Total length «« Female. Upper parts bronzy green, brown white ; the throat spotted with dark brown. 22 inches, wing 18, tail 14, culmen 8. ish upon the head. Flanks buff. Throat, breast and abdomen Under tail-coverts buff edged with white. Wings purplish- » with rufous ; remainder black tipped with Four central rectrices grass-green, edged on outer wel brown. buffy white. Bill and feet black. In size same as the male.” An adult male, lent to me by Messrs. Salvin and Godman, is figured in the Plate along with a pair of §. ardens. CATHARMA ORTHURA. Lesson’s Flame-bearer. Ornismyia orthura, Lesson, Hist. Nat. 'Trochilid. pp- 86, 88, pls. 28, 29 (1831). Trochilus orthurus, Reichenb. Aufz. der Colibri, p. 12 (1853).—Trochil. Enum. p. 10 (1855). Tryphena orthura, Bp. Rey. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 257. Catharma orthura, Elliot, Ibis, 1876, p- 400.—Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, iv. p- 66 (1877).—Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 112 (1878). Tuts species remained in obscurity till the year 1876, when Mr. Elliot, having acquired the types for his collection, identified it as a perfectly distinct form of Humming-bird, and made it the type of a new genus, having the form of an A¢tthis but the plumage of a Calliphlov. His remarks on the species in ‘The Ibis’ must be consulted by any one wishing to understand the history of the species. The following is Mr, Elliot’s account of the typical specimens in his collection :-— ‘ Adult male. Kutire upper parts dark shining grass-green. Behind the eye a small white spot. Throat metallic amethystine red, rather dull, beneath which is a band of greyish white extending up the sides of the neck; rest of underparts grey, tinged with green, lightest in the centre of the abdomen. Median rectrices bronze-green, lateral ones green at base, rest black, with a faint indication of white at the tip. Wings purplish brown. Bill black. Total Jength 23 inches, wing 12, tail $, culmen 3. “* Young male. Above golden green. Throat white, spotted with metallic red, and bounded beneath with a band of green, followed by another of white. Underparts deep buff, washed with green in lower part of breast. Middle rectrices bronze-green, lateral ones green at base, rest black, tipped with white. “Adult female. Above dark green. Ear-coverts, cheeks, and a line around lower part of the throat blackish brown. Throat white, spotted with brown. A band of white across the breast, beneath which is another of dark brown. Rest of underparts rufous. Central rectrices bronze-green, lateral ones bronze- green, with an apical black band. Under tail-coverts pale bronze-green, margined with grey. Wings purple. Bill and feet black. Dimensions as in the male.” [R. B. S.J Ste tof yy e 5 o 3 ce 3 i & D vs; oe SOx ATTHIS ELLIOTLI, Ridgway. Elliot’s Flame-bearer. Selasphorus heloisa, Scl. & Salv. (nec Less. & Delattre), Ibis, 1859, p. 129.—Salvin, Ibis, 1860, pp. 196, 266. ; Atthis heloisa (pt.), Baird, Brewer and Ridgway, Hist. North-Amer. Birds, ii. p. 465 (1874, spec. ex Guatemala). Atthis ellioti, Ridgway, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 1878, p. 9.—Elhot, Synopsis of the Humming- Birds, p. 114 (1878). Tuts species of 4é¢his represents in Guatemala the well-known Atthis heloise of Southern Mexico. As Mr. Ridgway remarks in his original description, it may be immediately distinguished by the very different form of the outer primary, the redder and more uniform colour of the throat-gorget, and the shorter bill. The outer primary in 4. edloti is broad, with the end not attenuated; and the gorget is uniform purplish red without varying olivaceous tints, with the culmen 0°38-0:40; whereas in 4. heloise the culmen measures 0:48-0:50, and the outer primary is very narrow, with the end abruptly attenuated, while the gorget is reddish violet, showing decided violet tints in certain lights. These differences do not strike one as being very strongly pronounced ; but as they appear to be constant, the Guatemalan species will henceforth be known as A. elhoti. The specific characters of the adult male are thus given by Mr. Ridgway :— ‘Outer primary broad, the end not attenuated. Gorget uniform reddish purple (much as in Calypte as in A. heloise ; jugulum wholly white; middle of the abdomen golden green ; crissum white, tinged with light rufous. Tail with the basal half (approxi- anné), without varying tints of violet white; sides light rufous, slightly glossed with Upper parts metallic green, decidedly less golden than in A, heloise. the subterminal portion black ; three outer feathers on each side tipped with 1 the black portion above glossed with metallic green anteriorly. Wings Wing 1:35 inch, tail 1-0-1:05.” above being sufficient to distinguish it mately) bright cinnamon-rufous, rusty white ; the middle pair witl uniform dusky, the smaller coverts metallic green. I have not given a figure of this species, the differences detailed from A. heloise. Q FE SE vy a PS Cee Ce 3 < ; V7 OMS ae) hs {