CAMPYLOPTERUS VILLAVICENCIO. 



Villavicencio's Sabre-wing*. 



TrocMIus Fillaviscensio, Bourc. Compt. Rend, de TAcad. des Sci., torn, xxxii. p. 187. 



HeUomaster Villaviscensio, Reich. Auf. der Col., p. 13. 



Heliomastes villavisencio, Bonap. Rev. Zool. 1854, p. 251. 



Campylopterus splendens, Lawr. in Ann. Lye, Nat. Hist. New York, vol. vi. p. 262 ?. 



The Campyiopterus Villamcencio was first described by M. Bourcier, from a specimen obtained by him during 

 his sojourn in Ecuador, and named in honour of a gentleman attached to the study of natural history 

 resident in that country. A single specimen is also contained in the Loddigesian collection. Both these 

 examples appear to be females, and assimilate so closely in size and in some parts of their colouring to the 

 bird lately named C, splendejis by Mr. G, N. Lawrence of New York, that I am induced to believe them to be 

 so many examples of one and the same species, I do not, however, insist upon such being the case, and 

 therefore only place them together provisionally. In the length and form of the bill, in the general colouring 

 of the tail and of the upper and under surface, they are precisely similar; the only observable difference 

 being, that Mr. Lawrence's specimen has a splendid deep-blue throat-mark, which is entirely absent in 

 M. Bourcier's and the Loddigesian examples. As both sexes of some other species of the Campylopteri are 

 very sombrely coloured, it is just possible that Mr. Lawrence's bird may prove to be distinct, in which case 

 his name of splendens may be restored, and retained for the bird represented in the upper figure on the 

 accompanying Plate, and that of Villamcencio for the lower one. Mr. Lawrence's example was procured by 

 Mr. Wm. E. Moore, between the head waters of the Napo and Quito, the same locaHty in which the other 

 specimens were obtained. 



The following is a description of M. Bourcier's specimen : — 



Crown of the head metallic golden green ; upper surface, wing-coverts and flanks dark golden green ; 

 wings purplish brown ; two centre tail-feathers dark green, the remainder steel-blue, the two outer ones 

 tipped, and the others slightly fringed with greyish white at the tip ; all the under surface ashy grey ; 

 bill black ; feet brown, 



Mr. Lawrence's specimen differs in having a gorget of rich deep metallic blue on the throat, and in the 

 lateral tail-feathers being merely fringed instead of tipped with greyish white. 



The Plate represents the two birds of the natural size. The plant is the Gualthena bracteata. 



