202 GENERA AND SPECIES. 



Proc. Zool. Soc. 1846. Throat beautiful shining 

 metallic-green ; the remainder of the body, 

 golden-green ; wings brown ; tail very long, 

 much forked ; the outer feathers bronzy-brown, 

 the bronze gradually increasing in intensity and 

 becoming a brilliant spot at the tip ; basal half 

 of the outer webs buffy white, the rest of the 

 feathers brown at the base, and shining golden 

 green for the remainder of their length; bill, 

 black. In Gould's cabinet. 



Total length, 6| inches ; bill, 1; tail, 4|. 



Habitat. Peru. In Gould's cabinet. 



This species, as Mr. Gould remarks, is very 

 closely allied to the Trochilus Gouldi of Loddiges, 

 which is synonymous with the Ornismya Sylphia 

 of Lesson, nevertheless, there are constant dif- 

 ferential characters which serve to distinguish 

 between them. Eor example, in this species the 

 bill is shorter, the green of the body ochreous, 

 and the lower part of the abdomen more buffy 

 or not so green as in 1. Gouldi. The most re- 

 markable difference, however, is in the outer 

 tail-feathers, which are decidedly narrower and 

 not so green. 



Genns COMETES, Gould, 1847. (Mellisuga, 

 in part, Gray.) 



This genus con cams only two species, as far 

 as we yet know, both of supreme magnificence, 

 meteor-like birds, whose long tail-feathers, as 

 they dart through the clear atmosphere must 

 scatter a halo of radiance around them. 



