Mr. J. Gould on a new Species of Humming-bird. 61 



(1-5 millim.). Surface smooth, uniformly dark greenish grey. 

 Cephalic extremity obtusely conical, shorter than broad, some- 

 what separated from the rest of the body by an indistinct 

 constriction at the base, with a longitudinal fissure on each 

 side reaching almost to the apex, without eyes ; orifice for the 

 proboscis terminal ; proboscis cylindi-ical, filiform, without 

 armature, with broad, low papillae arranged in rows, lying in 

 numerous loops in the anterior thickened part of the body. 



Borlasia incompta (mihi). Zweigletscherbucht. 



Worm 30 millims. long, cylindrical, of uniform thick- 

 ness (2 millims.), with the exception of the pointed cephalic 

 and caudal extremities ; surface smooth, whitish. Cephalic 

 extremity not separated from the body, very shortly conical, 

 without eyes or lateral fissures ; orifice for proboscis ventral, 

 close behind the apex of the head, and with the buccal orifice 

 immediately behind it ; the extended proboscis shorter than 

 the body (18 millims. long), but almost of equal thickness, 

 cylindrical, without papillas on its surface ; immediately be- 

 hind the orifice a principal stylet upon a long brown basal 

 piece, and on each side of this a pouch with three subordinate 

 stylets. 



VIII. — On a new Species of Humming-bird belonging to the 

 Oenus Spathura. By J. GoULD, F.R.S. 



Comparatively speaking, it was but the other day that only 

 a single species was known of this form, respecting the generic 

 designation of which much confusion exists. In 1846 I pro- 

 posed the term Ocreatus, which I subsequently discovered 

 had been previously employed. I therefore, in 1850, substi- 

 tuted that of Spathura. In the meanwhile, 1849, Dr.Reichen- 

 bach employed that of Steganurus, which he changed in 1853 

 to Steganura. I have here given preference to my own term j 

 but, of course, ornithologists may adopt which they please, so 

 long as they give me credit for discriminating the new 

 species. 



The bird alluded to as the only one originally known is the 

 Ornismya TJnderwoodi of Lesson, published by him in 1831. 

 Since that date three or four others have been discovered 

 and named ; and I now propose to characterize a fifth — thus 

 raising the number of species now known to six, all of which 

 possess specific characters whereby they may be at once 

 distinguished from each other. These Racket -tails, as they 

 have been familiarly termed, are denizens of the Andes and 

 the Cordilleras, from New Granada to Bolivia, including the 

 great spur which juts off into the Caraccas. I find that the 



