4 TROCHILID.E. 



Description. Head, upper surface, wing-coverts, flanks, and abdomen dark 

 yellowish green ; ear-coverts rich violet-blue ; wings purplish brown ; tail dark 

 bluish green, crossed near the tip by a broad chalybeate band, beyond which the 

 tips are of a lighter bluish green ; throat and upper part of the breast luminous 

 green ; across the breast a gorget of shining bluish green ; vent and under tail- 

 coverts pure white ; bill black ; feet blackish brown : whole length 3*8 inches, 

 wing 2*8, tail 1*7. Female similar, but not so bright. 



Hab. S.E. Brazil. 



Dr. Burmeister informs us that he met with this Humming-bird in 

 multitudes in the month of September among the orange-blossoms in 

 the Quintas of Tucuman. It is a well-known species in South-east 

 Brazil, but we know of no other record of its occurrence so far south 

 as Tucuman. 



234. PATAGONA GIGAS (Vieill.). 

 (GIANT HUMMING-BIRD.) 



Patagona gigas, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl p. 89; White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 615 

 (Catamarca) ; Elliot, Syn. Troch. p. 67 ; Gould, Mon. Troch. iv. pi. 232. 



Description. Head and upper surface pale brown, glossed with green ; wings 

 and tail darker and more green ; basal portion of the shafts of the lateral 

 rectrices white ; patch on the rump white ; upper tail-coverts edged with white ; 

 breast mottled brown and buff; throat and abdomen rusty red; under tail- 

 coverts white, with brownish centre spots ; bill blackish brown ; feet brown : 

 whole length 7'0 inches, wing 4-9, tail 3-4. Female similar but smaller. 



Hab. Andes of Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru, Chili, Patagonia, and 

 Northern Argentina. 



White seems to be the only observer who has met with this Hum- 

 ming-bird within tbe limits of tbe Argentine Republic. He obtained a 

 pair at Andalgala, in Catamarca, in September 1880, and wrote the 

 following notes on the habits of tbe species : 



" This magnificent bird, which tbe natives say they have never seen 

 before at Andalgala, was shot on the ' palan-palan/ tbe usual plant 

 tbat it frequents at tbis season. It appeared here just after a two days' 

 severe snow-storm, so that in all probability it had been driven down 

 bitber by it. 



" It is exceedingly powerful on the wing, and flutters in front of a 

 flower, sipping tbe nectar, exactly as the smaller species of tbis family. 

 They have a most peculiar, zig-zag, jerky flight, whicb, when making a 

 long detour for any particular spot, becomes undulating. 



" They are without doubt partially insect-eaters, as I have not only 



