HELIOTHRIX PHAINOLAMA, Gowda.

Green-throated Fairy.

Heliothria phatnolema, Gould in Proce. of Zool. Soc., part xxin. p. 87.

 

Turis is one of the most beautiful, and certainly the rarest species of the genus Heliothriz, a group
distinguished by the wedge-shaped form of their bill, their lengthened wings, small feet, and delicate style
of colouring. Its nearest ally is the 1. quriculatus, from which, however, it is distinguished by the whole
of the throat being of a resplendent metallic green. The localities inhabited by the two birds are widely
different, the HZ. auriculatus bemg found in Southern Brazil, while the H. phainolema frequents the distant
country of the Upper Rio Negro, the district in which the splendid Topaza pyra is also found, together with
many other fine species of which at present but little is known, owing to the difficulty of access to this ferra

incognita.

The male has the head, upper surface, upper tail-coverts, upper and under wing-coverts rich golden
green, very brilliant on the head; wings purplish black; four central tail-feathers bluish black ; lateral tail-
feathers snowy white; below and behind the eye a lengthened mark of black, terminating in a violet-blue
tuft; chin, throat, and sides of the neck rich luminous green; breast and under surface pure white; bill
black ; feet flesh-colour.

The female is very similar, but wants the blue ear-tufts and green neck-stripe, the absence of which
causes the black ear-coverts to show very conspicuously; a purplish band crosses the lateral tail-feathers
near their base.

The figures are of the natural size. The plant is a variety of the Tvdlandsia bulbosa.

 

 

 

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