OREOTROCHILUS MELANOGASTER, Gould. 



Black-breasted Hill-star. 



Oreoh'ochilus melanogaster, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xv. p. 10. — Gray and Mitch. Gen, 

 of Birds, vol. i. p. 104, Oreotrochilus, sp. 5. — Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. HQ^ Oreo- 

 trocMlus, sp. 6. — Reich. Aufz. der Col., p. 15. — Bonap. Rev. Zool. 1854, p. 250. 



No species of this well-defined group of Humming-birds is so rare in the collections of Europe as the 

 Oreotrochilus melanogaster : a circumstance which is due to the fact of the country of which it is a native 

 being more unfrequently visited than those inhabited by the other species. Ecuador, as is well known, is 

 the true habitat of the 0, Pichincha and 0. CImnborazo, both of which species are named after the volcanic 

 mountains they respectively frequent ; 0, EstellcB and 0. AdelcB are found in Bolivia ; 0. leucopleurus in 

 Chili, and the present species in Peru. All these species inhabit countries of great elevation, and are 

 mostly confined to very limited areas. The Oreotrochili may truly be considered to constitute one of the 

 best defined genera of the great family of the Trochilidcs, and to rank among the finest of the Humming- 

 birds. A splendid specimen of the 0. melanogaster graces the collection of the late Mr. George Loddiges, 

 and two are contained in my own : all of these were procured in Peru, but in what precise locality is 

 unknown. The whole of them are males, and, so far as I am aware, no female has yet reached Europe. 



All the upper surface olive-brown with a golden lustre, and washed with green on the upper tail-coverts ; 

 wings greyish brown with purple reflexions ; throat rich lustrous grass-green ; breast and abdomen rich 

 deep bluish black; flanks rusty brown ; tail green, with bronze reflexions; bill black; feet olive-black. 



The figures are of the size of life. The plant is the Fuchsia spectabilis. 



