METALLURA JELSKIL cos,

Jelski’s Copper-tail.

Metallura jelskii, aie Journ. fur Orn. 1874, p- 99.—Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches
ill. Ds ae cum fig, (1877).—Flliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 164
(1878).—Tacz. Orn. du Pérou, i. p. 354 (1884),

Metallura cupreicauda, Tacz. Proc. Zool. Soe. 1874, p- 544 (nee Gould).

Sapa

Tuts species was discovered in Peru by the celebrated Polish traveller

| eas whose name it bears, and by whom
it was met with in the high mountains near Lake

Junin, between Cucas and Paleamayo.
Mr. Elhot places the species in the section of the genus Metallura with bluish-gree
purple general coloration. It is allied to Jf opaca and JM. chloropogon,
of the tail, which, according to Mr. Elliot, is luminous

its habits.

n throats and blackish-
but is distinguished by the colour

rn = 5 Cer] ‘ ae 24 +]. Nv ny Ss s

The following description is translated from Dr. Taczanowski’s work on the Birds of Peru :—
Adult male. The entire plumage is black of a dull silky texture, presenting under certain lights,
especially when seen frontways from behind, a slight lustre of bluish or reddish violet, according to the
direction of the light; tail-coverts brownish black, glossed with bronzy or reddish copper; fore part of the
throat ornamented with scaly plumes of a dark and brilliant emerald-green ; anal region dow

ny and white ;
under tail-coverts bronzy, with a violet reflection and

bordered with pale reddish ; wing-coverts dull
certain lights a lustre of reddish violet similar to that of the general
plumage ; quills brown, glossed with bronzy olive and violet in their terminal parts; tail slightly emarginate,

coppery bronze, taking under

the tail-feathers broad, the middle ones slightly rounded, the others rather pointed at the extremity, of a
dark coppery bronze, taking a lustre of more reddish or violet colour according to the direction of the light,
and changing to a fine greenish-blue but very brilliant lustre when looked at from behind forwards; lower
part of the tail coppery red or violet, more brilliant than the upper surface. Bill straight, black, much
longer than the head, a little less than half the body; feet black, with the tarsus almost entirely bare.

Adult female. Dusky black above, brownish below, with the same violet lustre as the male; forehead pale
brownish grey, gradually passing into a darker shade on the hind neck; feathers of the breast and abdomen
narrowly fringed with buff, more distinctly in the middle of the belly; tail-coverts dull bronze; fore neck
ornamented with scaly feathers, of a blue colour broadly edged with violet, the lustre less strongly developed
than in the male; tail not so long, somewhat truncated, similar in colour to the male, but in general less
red and more coppery, with the greenish blue not so brilliant.

eaten Sel

METALLURA PRIMOLINA.

Guiana Copper-tail.

 

Whitely from British Guiana, and we were induced to figure it

Specimens of this bird were sent by Mr. ere eee
Mr. Salvin, however, considers that it is the adult male o

under the idea that it was new to science.
M. primolina, and the name of J. heterocerca will have to be suppressed.

[R. B. S.]

vinous purple. Nothing has been recorded of

  
   
 
  
  
 
    
   
   
   
  
  
   
   
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 

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