roy

PHAETHORNIS PHILIPPL
De Filippi’s Hermit.

Trochilus Philippi, Boure. Ann. de la Soc. Sci. de Lyon, 1847, p. 623.

aaa De Filippii, Boure. Rev. Zool. 1847, p. 401.

Phetornis Philippi, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p- 104, Phetornis, sp. 18.
Phaétornis philippi, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p- 68, Paétornis, sp. 18.

Orthornis defilippi, Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p- 249.

Ametrornis De Filippi, Reichenb. Aufz. der Colibris, p. 14.

 

I am indebted for many favours to M. Bourcier, the great Trochilidist of France, who has paid more
attention to the Humming Birds than any other person on the Continent. In his Collection there are some
unique species, and this, which is one of them, has been kindly transmitted to me by that gentleman for
the purpose of being figured in the present work. It is a well-marked and very distinct species, differing
from all the other members of the genus Phaéthornis in its rather long and almost straight bill; in the four
lateral tail-feathers on each side being very conspicuously tipped with chestnut-red, and offering a great
contrast to the tips of the two central feathers, which are terminated with white. In the rufous colouring
of its upper and under tail-coverts it also differs from most of its congeners. Iam unable to say in what part
of South America this bird was procured, and I believe that M. Bourcier is equally unaware of its proper
habitat. Dr. Reichenbach states that it is from Bolivia, on what authority I know not. Here then we
have further evidence that our knowledge of the Zrochilide is still very incomplete, the single example of
this species here represented being, so far as I am aware, the only one yet sent to Europe. M. Bourcier
has named it after Dr. De Filippi, Professor of Zoology in the University of Milan.

Head, upper surface and wing-coverts bronzy green, slightly tinged with brown; upper tail-coverts
bronzy brown, largely tipped with rufous; four lateral tail-feathers largely tipped with rufous, below this
a zone of brownish black, their basal portions bronzy green; the two middle feathers are brownish black
for about two-thirds of their length from their base, the apical third being white; wings purplish brown ;
all the under surface, from the chin to the vent, and the under tail-coverts rich reddish buff; upper
mandible brownish black; under mandible, except the extreme tip, straw- or perhaps flesh-colour ; feet
light brown.

The figures are of the natural size.