95. OPISTHOPRORA. 347 



95. OPISTHOPRORA. 



Type. 

 Avocettinus, Bp. Rev. Zool. 1854, p. 256 {nee 1849) . . O. euryptera, 

 Opisthoprora, Cab. ^- Heine, Mus. Hein. iii. p. 76 ... . O. euryptera. 



Range. Colombia. 



This genus has usually been assigned a position next to Avocettula, 

 the members of both having the bill distinctly upturned towards 

 the end. When, however, other characters are considered, it is 

 obvious that there is no near relationship between them. 



Regarding the name the genus should bear, I think there can be 

 no doubt that Avocettinus having been employed in two senses by 

 Bonaparte, first in 1849 for A. recurvirostris, and then in 1854 for 

 A. earijjpterus, it is not available for the latter bird. To avoid the 

 confusion such a change would involve, I prefer to use Opisthoprora, 

 Cab. & Heine, for this genus. 



1. Opisthoprora euryptera*. 



Trochilus eurypterus, Ludd. P. Z. S. 1832, p. 7. 



Trochilus georginse, Boiirc. P. Z. S. 1847, p. 48. 



Avocettida georginse, Reich. Aufz. d. Col. p. 6. 



Avocettinus eurypterus, Bp. Rev. Zool. 1854, p. 256 ; Gould, Man. 



Troch. iii. pi. 200 (May 1856) ; id. Intr. p. 114; 3Iuls. Hist. Nat. 



Ois.-Mouches, ii. p. 264, pi. 56 ; id, Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon, xxii. 



p. 215; Elliot, Sijn. Troch. p. 161. 

 Uelattria georginte, Bp. Rev. Zool. 1854, p. 253. 

 Opisthoprora eurvptera, Cab. Si- Heine, Mus. Hein. iii. p. 76 ; Berl. 



J. f. Orn. 188f, p. 325. 

 Avocettinus georginse, Muls. 4' Verr. Class. Troch. p. 53. 

 Polytmus eurypterus. Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 133. 



Adult. Upper surface shining grass-green, becoming bronze- 

 green on the crown ; under surface shining green, the feathers of 

 the middle of the throat and breast edged with white, those of the 

 sides of the throat, Hanks, and under tail-coverts with pale rufous ; 

 the middle of the abdomen pale rufous ; tail steel-blue, the central 

 rectrices above bronze-green like the crown, the lateral narrowly 

 tipped with white ; bill black. Total length about 4'3 inches, 

 wing 2-5 ; tail, central rectrices I'G, lateral 1-85 ; bill (slightly 

 upturned at the end) 0"7. 



Hab. Colombia. 



a-h. ad. sk. Colombia (Bogota make). Salvin-Godman & 



Gould Colls. 



* Reichenbach's Avcccftiila euryptera (Aufz. d. Col. p. ti ; Troch. Eaum. p. 3, 

 pi. R79. ff. 4485-(i, px Cayenne) is usually considered to belong here, but, 

 judging from the lignres, this can hardly be correct. 



