PANOPLITES JARDINI. 



Jardine's Panoplites. 



Trockilus Jardiniy Bourc, Comptes rendus de TAcad. des Sci,, torn, xxxii, p. 187. 

 Florisuga jardinii, Bonap. Consp, Trocli. in Rev. et Mag. de ZooL 1854, p. 253. 



The accompanying* Plate is intended to represent one of the most beautiful of the Trochilidee yet discovered ; 

 I say intended, for whatever success may have attended my attempts to convey an idea of the beauty of 

 these exquisite living gems, I must confess that the means at my command are utterly inadequate to do 

 justice to the present species, whose crown, back, shoulders and chest-sides are clothed with hues of 

 metallic blue and green of such resplendent brilliancy, that it is quite impossible to represent them upon 

 paper; those therefore of my readers who may wish to view them, must seek an opportunity for attentively 

 examining the birds themselves. 



The native country of this glittering gem is the temperate regions of Ecuador, where, in certain localities, 

 it is tolerably common. It is still, however, a rare bird in Europe, and there are few collections which 

 comprise examples, and none, I believe, so fine as those contained in my own. For these I am indebted to 

 my good friend Professor Jameson, of Quito, a gentleman of high scientific attainments, and who has largely 

 contributed to our knowledge of the Zoology and Botany of the rich district in which he resides. That he may 

 have still a long life to enjoy, is, I am sure, the sincere wish of all his scientific friends and correspondents ; 

 among whom is included one whose name is familiar to every zoologist, as that of an ardent lover of natural 

 history, and who has spent the greater part of his life in the promotion of its cause ; need I add that I allude 

 to Sir William Jardine, Bart., after whom this lovely bird has been named, by M. Bourcier, of Paris, as 

 a just tribute to his merits as a naturalist. 



M, Bourcier, who first brought the species to Europe, states that the bird inhabits the hot regions of the 

 great forests in the environs of Nanegan. In the letter accompanying the specimens transmitted by Pro- 

 fessor Jameson, he says: "Having from time to time procured from collectors a considerable number of 

 fine species of TrochUidcd from an extensive forest about two days' journey distant from Quito, I could no 

 longer resist my inclination to visit that part of the country ; and as I particularly wished to ascertaui the 

 precise localities frequented by the moi'e interesting species, I determined at once to carry my project into 

 effect, and only regretted that you were not here to accompany me. You are aware that explorations in 

 these countries are achieved at the expense of great bodily fatigue ; the journey on foot usually commences 

 at the upper boundary of the forest, say at 10,000 feet, and is continued downwards to that of 4000 above 

 the sea-level. The Trochilidse observed at the first-mentioned elevation, y^^re Eriocnemis Luciani, AglcBactis 

 cuprtpennis and HeUanthea Lutetics^ all feeding on the flowers of the Syphocampylus giganteus. A little lower 

 down, jmother species, unknown to me, frequented the flowers of diflferent species of Fuchsia ; and at a station 

 6000 feet, where I remained for the night, I saw for the first time that magnificent species named Jardini, 

 It was by no means uncommon, and I shot a splendid specimen on a tree belonging to the family Myrtacece^ 

 which appeared to be its favourite haunt. From the height of the tree I could not reach the blossoms ; all 

 I could do was to procure a branch with the leaves, which are rather large." 



Crown of the head shining violet-blue ; back and sides of the neck velvety black ; upper surface luminous 

 metallic-bluish verditer green ; wing-coverts shining yellowish green, passing into bronzy green towards the 

 primaries ; wings dark brownish purple ; throat, breast and abdomen violet-blue, bordered on the sides of 

 the neck and flanks with glittering green ; under surface of the shoulder rust-red ; lower part of the flanks, 

 vent and under tail-coverts dusky black, the latter tipped with white ; two centre tail-feathers dark bronzy 

 purple, the remainder white, each margined externally and tipped with dull greenish black ; upper tail- 

 coverts dull bluish purple ; bill black. 



After a careful examination of the specimens, I believe that the sexes of this and the other species of the 

 genus do not differ in their plumage. 



The figures are of the natural size. The plant is a species oi Heliconia, 



