232 Genera of Hiinimincr 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. HeliaNGELUS SPENCEI Bourcier, P.Z.S., 1847, p. 46. 



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



Diotimn spericei, Reich, Auzf. der Colib, 1853, p. 12. 



Spence's Siui An^el, Gould, Mr>n. Troch., vol. iv., p. 244. 



I'Hellinngele 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 

 o-olden-green, rufous in the centre of abdomen. Undertail- 

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

 Wings purplish-brown. Bill black. 



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



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

 ingbronzy-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 

 o-rayish-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 by Bourcier to Mr. Spence, 

 the celebrated English Entomologist. I have a fine series of 

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



