PETASOPHORA SERRIROSTRIS. 3 



232. SPARGANURA SAPPHO (Lesson). 

 (SAPPHO HUMMING-BIRD.) 



Sparganura sappho, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 80; White, P. Z. S. 1882, 

 p. 615 (Catamarca). Cometes sparganurus, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. 

 p. 449 (Mendoza, Catamarca, Tucuman); Gould, Mon. Troch. iii. pi. 174. 

 Sappho sparganura, Elliot, Syn. Troch. p. 154 ; Salvin, Ibis, 1880, p. 360 

 (Tucuman, Salta). 



Description. Head, upper back, wing-coverts, and under surface shining 

 bronze-green ; lower back and upper tail-coverts shining crimson ; tail dark 

 brown at base, remaining part fiery orange, tipped with black ; basal half of 

 outer web of external rectrices pale brown ; wings purplish brown ; under tail- 

 coverts light brown with purplish centres ; bill and feet black : whole length 

 6-2 inches, wing 2-5, tail 4-1. Female: crown and back greenish brown; 

 throat and sides of face buify white, spotted with green ; rest of under surface 

 whitish, with large spots of green on the flanks ; rump and upper tail-coverts 

 shining crimson ; central rectrices crimson, lateral rectrices brownish glossed 

 with crimson ; outer web of external rectrix white ; bill and feet black. 



Hob. Bolivia and North-western Argentina. 



Dr. Burmeister tells us that the Sappho Humming-bird is not 

 uncommon in Mendoza, Catamarca, and Tucuman, but keeps to the 

 mountains, and does not descend on to the plains. In the neighbour- 

 hood of Mendoza it specially affects the flowers of Loranthus cuneifolius 

 at Tucuman Dr. Burmeister found it also on the orange-blossoms. 



Durnford obtained specimens of this species at Tucuman and Salta 

 in the month of June. 



White (P. Z. S. 1882, p. 6J5) gives us the following notes on its 

 habits : 



" I have met with these Humming-birds scattered, although some- 

 what sparsely, over the upper provinces of the Republic, feeding princi- 

 pally upon Nicotiana glauca, the Quichua name for which is ' palan- 

 palan/ They follow it southwards as it flowers, even as far as 

 Cordoba ; but their true habitat is the Andean region. In Quichua, 

 Humming-birds generally are called ' Tuminicos.' When these birds are 

 poised in front of a flower with wings and tail expanded in the full 

 sunshine, they offer the most brilliant feathery picture imaginable; and as 

 they dart off their flight is so speedy that the eye cannot follow them." 



233. PETASOPHORA SERRIROSTRIS (VieilL). 

 (VIOLET-EARED HUMMING-BIRD.) 



Petasophora serrirostris, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 89 j Elliot, Syn. Troch. p. 52 ; 

 Gould, Mon. Troch. iv. pi. 223. Petasophora crispa, Burm. La-Plata 

 Reise, ii. p. 447 (Tucuman). 



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