with Notes on other rare or little known Species. 269 

 7. Lesbia orloni. 



r Male. Entire upper plumage and wing coverts of a rich glossy pur- 

 ple ; the concealed bases of the feathers are green ; upper tail coverts 

 similar in color to the back, but marked centrally between the purple 

 and green with crimson ; the tail feathers are brownish black, except 

 the two central, which are green ; the ends of the eight middle feathers 

 are largely marked with a deep vinous bronzy crimson, most in extent 

 on the short central feathers ; the long outer feather on each side ends 

 with obscure bronzy green ; the outer edge of the lateral feather is buff 

 for three-quarters its length from the base — this color occupying only 

 about one-third the width of the web ; the under surface of the tail is 

 steel blue, bronzy at the ends of the feathers ; the shafts of the two 

 long lateral feathers are whitish at base for about half their length ; 

 wings brownish purple ; the throat gorget is of a brilliant metallic pale 

 green ; the sides of the neck, breast, upper part of abdomen and sides 

 are of a shining green ; lower part of abdomen ashy buff; bill and feet 

 black. 



Length (skin) 5f in. ; wing 2^ ; tail, lateral feathers, 3 T 7 ¥ ; short 

 central feathers l T *g-; bill \. 



Habitat. Quito Valley, Ecuador. Type in Museum of Vassar 

 College, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 



It is very gratifying to me to introduce this remarkably fine 

 species, bearing the name of my friend Prof. Jas. Orton, of Vas- 

 sar College, whose large collections in various branches of Nat- 

 ural History, made in Ecuador and on the Upper Amazon, have 

 proved of great scientific value. 



Remarks. The single specimen above described was sent to 

 Prof. Orton (since his return from Ecuador) from the Quito Val- 

 ley, where it is said to be rare. It is of the same form and 

 dimensions as Lesbia gbjceria, Bonap., as illustrated by Mr. Gould 

 in his plate of that species (Mon. of Trochilidse), except that the 

 outer tail feather is narrower — being apparently about two-thirds 

 the width given in his figure. They are clearly allies, and should 

 be classed together. Mr. Gould puts glyceria in Cometes, as hav- 

 ing more affinity to that genus, on account of its broad tail 

 feathers, which are narrow in Lesbia. The outer tail feather of 

 the bird before me is about intermediate in width between gly- 



DECE.MBEB, 1S69. 18 Ann. Lvc. Nat. Hist., Vol. IX. 



