PHAETHORNIS LONGUEMAREUS.

Longuemare’s Hermit.

Trochilus Longuemareus, Less. Les Troch., pp- 15, 160. pls. 2, 62.—Ib. Ind. Gen. et Syn. des
Ois. du gen. Trochilus, p- Xv.

Phetornis Longuemareus, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p- 104, Phetornis, sp. 11.

Phaétornis longuemareus, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p- 67, Phaétornis, sp. 10.

Phaéthorms Longuemari, Reich. Aufz. der Col., p. 14.

 

Ir is believed by M. Bourcier and other continental ornithologists that the Phaéthornis Longuemareus and
P. intermedius of Lesson are one and the same species ; nevertheless, without doubting such good authorities,
I have figured a well-known, but very different Brazilian bird under the latter title, and reserved the former
for the present species ; which course I know to be correct, as I possess the identical specimen from which
Lesson’s figure and description were taken.

So regularly and so gradually do the species of the genus Phaéthornis advance both in size and colouring
from the smallest to the largest, that it would be difficult to say to which genus of the group, as subdivided
by Prince Charles L. Bonaparte, this bird should be assigned: if these subdivisions be generally adopted, it
may remain where the Prince has placed it, with the Pygmornes, in which case it will be the largest species
of that genus.

If any one member of the Phaéthornes be more commonly sent to Europe than another, it is the bird here
represented, which is a native of Guiana, Cayenne and Trinidad. Mr. William Tucker informs me that in
the latter country it frequents shady places among the high woods ; and he adds that the sexes are alike in

colouring.

Crown of the head greyish-brown ; ear-coverts and chin dull black ; all the upper surface, wing- and tail-
coverts bronzy-brown ; wings purplish-brown ; under surface, superciliary mark, and stripe from the angle
of the mouth buff; under tail-coverts grey ; tail bronzy-green at the base, succeeded by bronzy blackish-
brown, which gradually fades into grey near the tip of the two central feathers ; all the feathers tipped with
white ; the tips of the lateral ones tinged with buff; upper mandible black ; basal two-thirds of the under
mandible yellow, the tip black ; feet pure yellow.

The Plate represents the birds of the natural size. The plant is the Neptunia plena.