RAMPHOMICRON VULCANIL, Gow.

Southern Thorn-bill.

Rhamphomicron Vulcani, Gould in Jard. Cont. to Orn. 1852, p. 135.

 

Tux single specimen I possess of this curious bird was brought to this country by M. Warszewicz, and was,
I believe, collected during his last journey into Bolivia; but of this Iam not certain. It is doubtless a
mountain species, and probably inhabits, like the Ramphomicron Stanley, the shrubby sides of the interior of
some extinct voleano. It is perhaps more nearly allied to that species than to any other, but differs from it
in the colouring of its luminous throat-mark. The acquisition of only a single specimen of this species
tends to confirm the opinion I have elsewhere expressed that many new species of Humming-Birds will yet
be discovered among the towering Andes.

The following is a copy of my original description of this bird, published in Sir William Jardine’s
‘Contributions to Ornithology’ for 1852.

“Head, sides, back of the neck and wing-coverts greenish brown; back and rump deep violet blue;
wings purplish brown; upper tail-coverts and tail dark bluish green ; down the centre of the throat a series
of scale-like feathers, broad at the chin and tapering to a point on the breast, the upper part of which is of
a brilliant metallic emerald-green, passing into steely amethystine blue ; under surface dark brownish grey ;
under tail-coverts greyish white, with a streak of steel-blue down the centre of each feather; bill and feet
black.

«Total length 44 inches; bill -3,; wing 2; tail 2+.

“ Remark.—Nearly allied to R. Stanleyi, but of a much smaller size; greyer on the breast, and the lower
part of the beard steely amethystine blue, with little or none of the reddish tinge seen in that species.”

The figures are of the natural size. The plant is the Sida Pichinchensis.