DISCURA LONGICAUDA.

Racket-tail.

Trochilus longicaudus, Gmel. Edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. 1. p. 498.

L’ Oiseau-mouche a raquettes, Buff. Hist. Nat. des Ois., tom. vi. p. 23.—Ib. Sonn. Edit., tom. xvii
py U7 viel O15: Wor, toma p.ds: pho:

Mellisuga longicauda, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 1138, Mellisuga, sp. 55.

Discosura longicauda, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 84, Discosura, sp. 1.

Discura longicauda, Bonap. Rey. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 256.—Reichenb. Aufz. der Col., Dao:

Trochilus platurus, Lith. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 317.—Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat., tom. vii.
p- 370.—Ib. Eney. Meth. Orn., part 1. p. 569.—Drapiez, Dict. Class. d’Hist. Nat.,
tom. iv. p. 327.—Prince Max, Beit. zur Naturg. von Bras., p- 96.

Ormismya platura, Less. Hist. Nat. des Ois:-mou., pp. xxij, 186. pl. 40.—Ib. Ind. Gen. et Syn.
des Ois. du Gen. Trochilus, p. xxiv.—Ib. Traité d’Orn., p. 277.

Mellisuga platura, Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xiv. p. 242.

Racket-tailed Humming-bird, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. 1. p. 782.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p- 316.

Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 338.

Trochilus (Ocreatus) ligonicaudus, Gould in Proe. of Zool. Soc., part xiv. p. 86.

 

Discosura ligonicaudus, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Ay., p. 84, Discosura, sp. 2.

Diseura platura, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col., p. 8.

Ir is to be regretted that the inappropriate name of dongzcaudus must be retained for this elegant little bird ;
that of platurus, assigned to it by Latham, would be far more applicable ; but the law of priority established
by naturalists requires that the oldest name should be the one adopted, and I have no alternative but to bow
to their decision.

Although the Discura longicauda has been long known to ornithologists, no information has reached us
with respect to its habits and mode of flight, or on any other points connected with its economy. It does
not belong,
Columbia and Peru, to which the generic name of Spathura has been given, but is much more intimately

as might be supposed, to that division of the Humming-birds, found in the high mountains of

allied to the members of the genus Gouldia, which alliance is very clearly indicated by the band across the
back, and by the form and colouring of the females. The native countries of this singular little bird are
Cayenne, Guiana, and Demerara; it also extends its range to the northern parts of Brazil, being found,
according to Mr. Reeves, in Bahia, Maranahao, and Para.

On reference to the above list of synonyms, it will be seen that I have given the name of Uigonicauda to a
bird belonging to this genus, being under the impression at the time that it was different, but I now believe
it to be merely a local variety of this species.

Face and fore part of the neck green, which colour is continued on the chest, where the feathers become
larger, longer, or tuft-like and more luminous, and some of them edged with grey; on the chin a small
black spot; centre of the abdomen golden brown ; lower part of the abdomen and under tail-coverts buffy
brown; flanks golden green ; wings purplish black ; back and upper tail-coverts green ; lower part of the
back crossed by a band of buffy white; tail purplish brown, with a stripe of buff down the centre of each
feather; the lateral feathers tapering and terminating in a large spatulate tip; bill black.

The female has the head greyish brown ; upper and under surface green ; across the lower part of the
back a band of buffy white ; upper tail-coverts black ; wings purplish brown ; tail grey, largely tipped with
purplish black ; a broad patch of black down the throat, bordered on each side by white.

The figures are of the natural size. The plant is the Péteairnia muscosa.