IN TROD U OL LON.

Mellisuga Victorie, Gray & Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. 1. p. 103, ee oe 54.
Cynanthus victoria, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. tom. 1. p. 81. Cynanthus, sp. 6. one
Lesbia Victoriae, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. p. 8; Id. Troch. Enum. p. 5, pl. 715. figs. 4622-23.
Psalidoprymna Victoriae, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil ili. p. 52.
tat. nada, Ecuador, and Peru. ;
sha ae ih varieties not unfrequently occur among the Trochilide ; and I a that the bird to
which M. Bourcier has given the name of Victorie is merely such a variety of the L. Amaryllis.

Vol. III. Pl. 171.
191. Lesspia EUCHARIS

Lesbia bifurcata, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 5, pl. 716. figs. 4624-25.

Habitat. New Granada.

Considerable, and I fear inextricable, confusion exists with regard to the genera Lesbia and Cynanthus, which
would appear to be due to the various authors who have used those terms taking their characters from ee
descriptions or imperfect drawings, instead of actual specimens. This confusion I have endeavoured to pee by
applying the terms to the birds which I believe their respective proposers actually intended, and I do hope that,

for the sake of science, they will be allowed so to stand for the future.

Leaving the genus Lesbia, then, we proceed to that of Cynanthus, and here we arrive at some of the most
remarkable and the most beautiful of the Trochilide. Strictly confined to the great Andean mountains and the
spurs which jut out as far as eastern Venezuela, these blue-tailed birds enjoy a range of habitat extending from
the lands washed by the Caribbean Sea to Peru.

Those inhabiting the neighbourhood of Bogota appear to be divided into two or three local varieties or races ;
for they are not, in my opinion, sufficiently different to warrant us in regarding them as species. On the other
hand, the Ecuadorian bird possesses characters which induced me to consider it distinct.

The variation observable among the Bogotan birds is principally in the colouring of the tail—some having the

whole of the feathers blue, while others have the eight central ones tipped with beautiful green.

Genus Cynanruus, Swains.
192. CyNANTHUS CYANURUS ‘ ; : : : ? Vol. III. Pl. 172.

Lesbia forficatus, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. p. 8; Id. Troch. Enum. p. 5, pl. 718. figs. 4628-29.

Lesbia Gorgo, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. pp. 8, 24 ; Id. Troch. Enum. p.5; Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p.7l.
Habitat. New Granada.

A somewhat smaller and more delicate bird than the Cynanthus cyanurus occurs in Venezuela, hav

ing the whole of
the body green, with the exception of a patch of blue

on the throat ; and the crown brilliant metallic green, without
the superciliary stripe of black seen in that species : I refrain, however,

for the present from characterizing it as
distinct.

193. CynanTuus caxestts, Gould.
Habitat. Ecuador.

This new Humming-Bird is considerably larger than the C

- cyanurus; it also presents a marked difference in
the colouring of the under-surface, w

hich is uniform coppery brown, instead of green;
colouring is very similar to the specimens from Bogota, w

specimen from Ecuador with an entirely blue tail, w

in other respects the

ith green and blue tails. In no instance have I seen a

hereas they frequently occur among those sent from Bogota.
194. Cynanruus Mocoa.

panne smaragdicaudus, Gould ; : ‘ : : ‘ : : Vol. III. Pl. 173.
Habitat. Peru and Bolivia.

Specimens of this species, like those of the C. cyanurus, are found to d

iffer considerably ; but as it is a bird of
comparative rarity, we hav

positive conclusion as to whether these are
the southern representative of the C. cyanurus.

g the eastern slopes of the great Andean range.

€ seen too few examples to come to any

referable to one or two species. The C. Mocoa may be regarded as

It frequents the forests of Bolivia and Peru, particularly those clothin

As the Lesbie naturally led us on to the Cynanthi, so do the ]

a : . . :

extolled the beauty of any of the preceding

genera, it is scarcely possible