GLAUCIS HIRSUTUS.

Hairy Hermit.

Trochilus lirsutus, Gmel. Edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p- 490.—Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’Hist.
Nat., 2nde Edit. tom. vii. p.352.—Ib. Eney. Méth. Orn., part ii. p. 556.—Dumont,
Dict. des Sci. Nat., tom. x. p- 47.—Temm. Pl. Col. 120. fig. 2.—Less. Hist. Nat.
des Col., p. 80. pl. 21.—Jard. Nat. Lib. Humming Birds, vol. ii. p. 129. pl. 29.—
Less. Traité d’Orn., p- 290.

Phethornus hirsutus, Jard. & Selb. Tl. Orn., vol. ii. pl. 143.

Polytmus Brasilianus, Briss. Orn., tom. iii. p- 670.

Trochilus Brasiliensis, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 308.

Colhibris a ventre roussatre, Buff. Hist. Nat. des Ois., tom. vi. p. 63.

Le Colibri a pieds vétus, Vieill. Ois. Dor., tom. i. p- 40. pl. 20. & p. 122. pl. 68.

Polytmus hirsutus, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 108, Polytmus, sp. 33.

Glaucis hirsutus, Boie in Oken’s Isis, 1831.—Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p- 67, Glaucis, sp. 1.—
Ib. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p- 249.

Rufous-bellied Humming Bird, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. ii. p. 760.—Ib. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 315.
—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p- 302.

Glaucis hirsuta, Reichenb. Aufz. der Colibris, p: 15.—Ib. Troch. enumer., p..12.

 

Ir is very generally admitted by Trochilidists that there are two most nearly allied species of Glaucis, which
have been respectively named hirsutus and Mazeppa; the former name having been given by Gmelin to a
Brazilian bird, and the latter by Lesson to a species inhabiting Guiana; but it yet remains to be seen whether
they are really distinct. On examining again for the twentieth time the very numerous series of birds of
this form from various parts of South America contained in my collection, I have not been able satisfactorily
to determine if they are all referable to one and the same, or if they constitute two or three species. I have
looked for assistance in vain to the plates and descriptions published by Vieillot, Lesson, and others ; they
tend rather to confuse than to afford any clue to a just discrimination. The colouring of the examples I
possess, favours the opinion that there are three distinct species, or if not species, well-marked local
varieties. Of these, one, inhabiting the eastern parts of Brazil generally, from Rio de Janeiro to the
Amazon, and even extending its range to Guiana and Trinidad, may, if it should ultimately prove that
there are more than one species, bear the name of Airsutus, the specimen to which Gmelin applied that term
being from the Brazils. A somewhat smaller bird, with a greater amount of white on the tips of the tail-
feathers, and with the rufous colouring of the under surface extending farther on to the sides of the neck and
flanks, and which is rather widely diffused over Cayenne, British and Dutch Guiana, Tobago, and perhaps
some other of the West India Islands, if distinct, may have the name of /azeppa retained for it. The third,
which is more nearly allied to the Brazilian than to the Guiana bird, is from Bogota: this, which has the throat
and abdomen much suffused with green, has not yet, I believe, received a specific appellation, and for the
present I do not venture upon proposing one; trusting that time and research will throw more light upon
the subject, and enable us to clear up the confusion at present existing. What course then am I to take,
with regard to the numerous synonyms referring to these birds? Perhaps it would be better to omit them
altogether, since it is almost impossible to determine with certainty to which of the birds they apply ; but as
this might not be considered satisfactory, I have quoted above all that appear to me to refer to the bird here
represented ; the others will be found under Mazeppa, should it prove to be distinct.

M. Lesson questions whether his Mazeppa may not be the female of a species unknown to us, but to this