O II E O 1' Y R A . 



33 



Genus XIV.— OREOPYRA. 



Ttte. 



Oreopy ra. GorLD, P. Z. S. (1860), p. 312 (dcsc. uuU.) — Id., lulr. Trocb., octavo ed.. 



p. 141 (desc). O. leucaspis, Gould. 



FiL'. 14. 



Ch. "Bill longer than the head, straight or very 

 slightly arched; wings long and rigid (?); tail moder- 

 ately long and forked ; tarsi clothed ; feet rather 

 small." (Gould, loc. cit.) 



A. Throat metallic-purple. 



B. Throat white, not metallic. 



a. Tail black 



b. Tail grayish-while. 



Key to the species. 



Ortopyra caloltxina. o* at/. Vcragua. _\rce' 



1. O. ralolamia. 



2. O. tcKcaspis. 



3. 0. cbiercicauda. 



The males of this genus are clothed in brilliant metallic plumage, one species 

 having a metallic spot upon the throat, while the other two strangely enough have 

 this part pure white. They are of moderate size, of graceful form, aud the sexes 

 are entirely different in the coloring of their plumage. 



1. Oreopyra calolaema. 



Oreopyra calolcrma, Salt., P. Z. S. (l.'-'64), p. 584. 



Hub. Costa Rica (Volcan de Cartage), Veragua. 



Male. Top of head shining bluish-green. Upper parts dark grass-green. Entire 

 throat metallic violet-red. Auriculars black ; white line behind the eye. Breast 

 shining bluisli-green. Abdomen ashy-brown. Under tail coverts the same mar- 

 gined with white. Wings purplish-brown. Tail bluish-black. Bill black. Total 

 length, 4 in. Wing, 2^ in. Tail, l^ in. Culmen, f in. 



Female. Upper parts grass-green. Entire under parts reddish-buff. ]\Iedian 

 rectrices dark green ; base of lateral ones dark green, renuiining parts steel-black, 

 the two outermost feathers tipped with white. 



2. Oreopyra leucaspis. 



Oreopyra Icncaspis, Gould, Moii. Trocli., vol. iv, pi. 204. — Id., Intr. Troch., octavo cd., p. 141 (ISGl). 

 Mefallurn castaneivcntris. Reich., Aufz. dor Colib., p. 8 (1853).— Id., Troch. Kiiiim.. p. f) (18.').t). 

 Anthocephala castaneiventris, Gould, Mod. Troch., vol. iii, pi. 203.— Id., liitr. Troch., octavo cd., p. ll.">, 9. 



Hab. Chiriqui. 



Male. Top of head brilliant metallic light green. Ujij^-r part dark grass-green. 

 Breast shining bright green. Throat pure white. Abdomen and under tail coverts 

 grayish-brown, the latter marginetl with grayish-white. Wings i)urpk'-brown. 



5 July, 1878. 



