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Mr. Dyson, and all who have seen this bird in a state of nature, agree in stating, that

» as Its general form

and forked tail would indicate, its flight is most rapid and powerful.
Professor Jameson of Quito, in one of his Letters to Sir William Jardine, Bart., mentions that it feeds
on the flowers of the Sedum Quitense, which plant covers the walls and house- -tops of Quito.

The adult male has the crown of the head rich shining yellowish metallic green; on the throat a

becoming of a
browner hue on the under surface ; wing-coverts and tips of the spurious wing-feathers shining

small gorget of beautiful shining purplish blue; plumage of the body bronzy green,

green; the
remainder of the w ing’s purple Ba n; two central tail-feathers rich shining metallic green ;

the three next
on each side black at the base, dings into rich blue near their apices

s, and bro fale margined and
tipped with rich shining metallic green, shaded in some positions with blue; basal half of the outer feather

on each side black, their apical halves rich deep metallic purplish blue ; a few white feathers stretch across
the lower part of the abdomen; under tail-coverts green; above and aee the eye a very minute mark of

white; bill black; feet dark brown.

The young male resembles the adult, but has the whole of the colouring, especially the mark on the head,

far less brilliant; is entirely destitute of the gorget on the throat, and has the ]

ateral tail-feathers much
less developed.

The female has the crown mark of green, but much less brilliant than in the male; the upper surface

and wing-coverts rich golden bronze; a small mark of white behind the eye, and a ii streak of the same
hue beneath it; under surface rufous washed with bronzy green on the flanks

; central tail-feathers shining
green, chanpane to purple towards the tip |

ateral fee black, glossed with deep blue and la
with white ; all the tail-feathers purplish black on their under surface ;

spot of dull green near the tip of each feather.
The Plate represents an adult male, a young male
The plant introduced on the plate is

rgely tipped
throat greyish white, with a round

, and a female of the natural size.

a Nymphea, of the country inhabited by the bird, and of which
living specimens may be seen in the Royal Gardens at Kew:

from that published in Curtis’s Botanical Magazine
lover of flowers,

the figure is copied, with some alterations,

, a work which should be in the possession of every
replete as it is with objects of the greatest beauty and interest.