232 Genera of Humming Birds. 



middle of the abdomen is more distinctly buff ; the under 

 tail-coverts are white with wider dusky shaft-stripes. 

 Type in the British Museum. 



330. Hrliangelus SPENCEI Bourcier, P.Z.S., 1847, P- A^- 



Mellisiiga spencei, Gray, Gen. Birds, vol. i., p. 112. 



Diotima spencei, Reich, Auzf. der Colib, 1853, p. 12. 



Spence's Sun Angel, Gould, M'-*n. Troch., vol. iv., p. 244. 



VHelliangele de Spence, Muls., Hist. Nat. Ois. Mou., 1876, 

 t. iii., p. 89. 



Habitat. — Venezuela. 



Male. — Spot on forehead metallic silvery-green. Head, 

 lores, and sides of neck very dark green, almost black in 

 certain lights. Upperside shining green, golden on upper- 

 tail-coverts. Median rectices bronzy-green, laterals bronzy- 

 brown, paler on outermost ones. Throat metallic amethystine- 

 red, bluish-purple on chin. A broad pure white band across the 

 breast. Lower part of breast, abdomen, and flanks shining 

 golden-green, rufous in the centre of abdomen. Undertail- 

 coverts golden-green in centre, margined with grayish-white. 

 Wings purplish-brown. Bill black. 



' Total length. 4tin. Wing, 2fin. Tail, i^in. Culmen, y^-. 



Female. — Upperside golden-green. Median rectrices shin- 

 ingbronzv-green, laterals bronzy-brown , darker on internal webs 

 and near the tips. Tips of lateral and outermost ones grayish- 

 white. Lores, throat, and sides of neck very dark green 

 appearing brownish-black in certain lights. Upper part of 

 throat metallic violet-red. Under the black of the throat is a 

 wide band of pure white crossing the breast. Lower part of the 

 breast and flanks golden-green. Abdomen grayish buff. 

 Undertail-coverts pale green in centre, margined with 

 grayish-buff. Wings purplish-brown. Bill black. 



Total length, 4|in. Wing, 2f. Tail, i|. Culmen, -^-^. 



I have a young male of this species exactly coloured as the 

 female, but the metallic part of the throat ends in a point, 

 reaching the band across the chest. This band is buff as in 

 H. amethysticollis. 



This rare species was dedicated bv Bourcier to Mr. Spence, 

 the celebrated English Entomologist. I have a fine series of 

 both sexes collected in Merida, Venezuela, by Mr. S. Briceno. 



