THALURANIA TSCHUDII, Govid. 



Tschudi's Wood-Nymph. 



Trochilus furcatm, Tschudi, Fauna Peruana, p. 39. 



Thalurania Tschudii, Gould MS., Sclat. in Proc. of ZooL Soc, part xxvi. p. 460. — Gould in 

 Proc. of ZooL Soc, part xxviii. p. 312. 



The present bird would appear, at a first glance, to be identical either with the Thalurania furcata or 

 T. refulgem:^ but when compared w^Ith those species, it is found to present many differences. It is a larger 

 and more robust bird, and has broader tail-feathers than the former; but it is smaller than the latter, and 

 differs from both in the colouring of the abdomen, which is prussian-blue, while the same part in T.furcatus 

 is ultramarine-blue, and in T. refutgens violet-blue ; from the T. nigrofasciata, to which it Is also allied, it 

 differs in the truncate form of its green throat-mark. 



I am indebted to the Directors of the Museum of Natural History at Neuchatel for permission to ex- 

 amine all the species of Humming-Birds collected by Dr. Tschudi during his travels in Peru; among these 

 was one of the present bird, which was labelled Trochilusfurcatus, a circumstance which informs us that 

 this is the species described by that gentleman in his ' Fauna Peruana' under that name; as, however, 

 it is quite distinct from the bird to which the term furcatus had been previously applied, I have been 

 obliged to give it a new appellation, and have selected that of Tschudii j as a just compliment to one who 

 has effected so much in the cause of science. 



Mr. Hauxwell sent me fine examples from the Ucayali ; it is evident, therefore, that the banks of that 

 river is one of its habitats ; in all probability the forests of the inner dip of the Bolivian and Peruvian 

 Andes are also inhabited by it. At present I have never seen a female ; but this sex will doubtless be 

 coloured like the females of the other members of the genus, particularly the female of T furcata. 



Crown of the head and all the upper surface golden green, inclining to bronzy green on the tail-coverts ; 

 throat beautiful green ; abdomen prussian-blue ; under tail-coverts steel-black, many of the feathers slightly 

 fringed with white ; thighs, tarsi, and anal region white ; tail steel-black. 



The figures are of the natural size. The plant is a Passiflora^ the specific name of which is unknown 

 to me. 



