LAMPORNIS VERAGUENSIS, Go»;rf 



Verag^uan Mang-o. 



Lampornis Veraguensis, Gould, MSS. 



Lampornis veragiiemis, Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 250. 



Sericotes veraguensis, Reichenb. Aufz, der Colibris, p. 11. 



Several years have now elapsed since I received both drawings and specimens of this n^w Humming-bird 

 from M. Warszewicz, the celebrated South American traveller and botanist. The specimens referred to 

 were collected near the volcano of Chiriqui in Veragua ; subsequently I received examples from Costa Rica, 

 and more recently still from the vicinity of David, transmitted by Mr. Bridges: nothing can be more certain, 

 therefore, than that the countries immediately to the northward of the Isthmus of Panama are the native 

 habitat of this bird. As a species, the Lampornis Veraguensis is as well marked as any member of the genus ; 

 it possesses a combination of characters which ally it to the L. gramineus and L, Premsti\ it differs, how- 

 ever, from the former in its much smaller size, and in the brilliant green of the throat being continued over 

 the chest to the abdomen ; and from the //. Premsti, which it about equals in size, by the total absence of 

 black on the throat. I am so fortunate as to possess males, females and young males of this fine species, 

 which may be thus described. 



The male has all the upper surface, wing-coverts and flanks golden green ; throat glittering green, inclined 

 to blue in the centre, and becoming of a deeper blue on the chest and centre of the abdomen ; wings purplish 

 brown ; tail purple, each feather narrowly edged and tipped with darker purple, the two centre feathers 

 tinged with bronze ; tuft on each flank white. 



The young male is similar on the upper surface ; has the throat-mark less brilliant and bordered with 

 white 5 the centre tail-feathers bronzy green ; the lateral feathers purple at the base, crossed near the tip 

 with steel-blue and tipped with white. 



The female is of a more golden hue above and on the flanks ; has a mark of blackish green bordered with 

 white down the throat and the lateral tail-feathers as in the young male. 



The figures are of the natural size. The plant is the Pitcairnia macrocalyx. 



