Mr. D. G. Elliot on the Trochilid^. 331 



cality. H. bonapartii is to be met with in Columbia^ and is fre- 

 quently obtained near Bogota. H. violifera has only been 

 brought twice to Europe, the first time by Warszewiez, the 

 discoverer of so many new species of this beautiful family. 

 He stated that he procured his specimens near Chulimani, 

 among the mountains, in Bolivia. Lately Mr. Bucldey has 

 rediscovered the species and brought specimens from Undavi, 

 in the same country. H. osculans was obtained by Mr. 

 Whitely at Cachupata, in Peru, at an altitude of 11,000 

 feet; and H. dichroura by M. Jelski at Maraynioc, Peru, 

 a place among the lofty mountain-ranges behind Lima. 

 I propose to ai*range the species as follows : — 



Helianthea isaacsoni. 



Ornysmia isaacsoni, Parz. Rev. Zool. 1845, p. 95. 



Eriocnemis isaacsoni, Gould, Mon. Troch. vol. iv. pi. 272 ; 

 Id. Intr. Troch. p. 144, sp. 301. 



This bird, first described by M. Parzudaki, as above cited, 

 has always been included among the members of the genus 

 Eriocnemis, and as such was figured by Mr. Gould in his 

 monograph of the family. Its extreme rarity prevented orni- 

 thologists generally from forming an opinion as to its proper 

 position in the Trochilidse; but on receiving the specimen 

 now in my collection, I saw that it was not an Eriocnemis, 

 but more properly belonged to the present genus. It might 

 be, perhaps, correct to make it the type of a new genus ; but 

 as I am adverse to the multiplication of these divisions, too 

 many of which have been already established on insufficient 

 grounds, I prefer to place the species in Helianthea, with 

 which it appears to have a veiy close alliance. It is at once 

 separated from Eriocnemis by wanting the conspicuous tufts 

 on the tarsi, so marked a character in all the members of 

 that genus, and in the form of the bill and general colora- 

 tion of its plumage shows its affinity to Helianthea. As it is 

 so rare a species, a description may not be out of place ; and 

 I therefore add that of my specimen. 



Upper part of head dark metallic green, a small spot of 

 very luminous metallic light grass-green upon the forehead 



