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CHLOROSTILBON AURICEPS, Gowa

Long-tailed Emerald.

Trochilus (——— °) auriceps, Gould in Jard. Cont. to Orn. 1852 p37

Ix placing this new and highly interestine cles | . 9 ; , c

pk ehh eresting species in the genus Chiorostilbon, 1 feel assured that I am
\ very regular gradation, with reg
tail, occurs between the present bird and the

assigning it to its natural position. ar ‘ 7
| ard to the structure and form of the

razil, while in the form of the bill ; | : glittering metallic ¢ ring’ of
Br e bill and in the glittering metallic colouring of the body they are as nearly
ance occurs in the females of all the species. It is a fact no
less true than interesting, that the members of this genus from the countrie

alike as possible ; and a still greater resembl

s lying northward of the Isthmus
of Panama differ specifically from those found in Brazil and Columbia: and, as if to mark their separation
still more strongly, they all possess a more or less forked tail, tipped or banded at the extremity of each
feather with grey, a feature which is particularly conspicuous in C. Caniveti and the present species; the
bifurcate form of the tail, too, appears to be carried to its maximum in the bird here represented, thereby
rendering it of a particularly elegant and graceful contour.

The discovery of the CA/orostilbon auriceps is due to the researches of the late M. Floresi d’Areais, who
obtained several examples of both sexes in Mexico, and which now grace my own collection; I regret to

add, that the precise locality in which they were procured is unknown to me.

The male has the forehead and crown of the head of a glittering metallic golden hue; upper surface and
wing-coverts golden-green ; throat, and the whole of the under surface lustrous metallic green; wings
purplish-brown ; tail, which is deeply forked and longer than the body, purplish-black, all but the outer
feather on each side obliquely tipped with greyish-green ; bill reddish at the base, and black for the
remainder of its length.

The female has the head, upper surface and flanks bronzy-green ; wings purplish-brown ; under surface
dull grey; central tail-feathers shining green; the remainder, except the outer one on each side, green at
the ce then black, and slightly tipped with grey; the outer feather on each side green at the base, then
grey, next black, and lastly tipped with greyish-white.

The Plate represents the birds of the size of life.

other species intervening between it and the C. prasinus of

 

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