GENEEA AND SPECIES. 171 



Genus METALLTJRA, Gould, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 1847. 



The males in this genus are very brilliant, but 

 the females are much more plainly ornamented. 

 The bill is straight, moderately long, and slender; 

 the general plumage is soft and silky; the tail is 

 rather ample, rounded, its under surface glisten- 

 ing with metallic lustre ; the wings are mode- 

 rately large, and apparently adapted for an easy 

 mode of flight ; gorget metallic green, and very 

 luminous; tarsi bare; feet rather large. The 

 j female wants the luminous throat mark. 



Five recorded species belong to this genus, all 

 !in Mr. Gould's cabinet, viz. Tr. ceneicauda, 

 ; Gould; Tr. smaragdinicollis, D'Orbigny; Tr. 

 , tyrianthinus, Loddiges ; and Tr. Williami, Bour- 



In Trochilus cupreicauda, the throat is lustrous 

 bluish-green ; the crown of the head, the neck, 

 i the back, and all the upper surface, dark lustrous 

 purplish-brown; wings of the same tint, but 

 ! lighter; under surface of the tail rich fiery cop- 

 per colour, and very luminous. In some speci- 

 mens this is of a light rich purplish-copper 

 i colour in others inclining to green. Bill 

 I black. 



Total length, 5 inches ; bill, 1 ; tail, 2. 



Locality : Bolivia. In Gould's cabinet. 



Trochilus ceneicauda. Throat luminous me- 

 ; tallic green ; upper surface mingled green and 

 brown ; wings puplish brown ; under surface of 



