PANOPLITES MATTHEWS!. 



Matthews' Panoplites. 



TrocMlus Maftheivsii Lodd. MSS. Bomx. in Proc. of Zool. Soc. Part XV. p. 43. 

 Mellisuga Matthewsii, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 112, Mellisuga, sp. 27. 

 Clytol(Ema mattheivsi, Bonap. Consp. Troch, in Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 254. 



The rich country of Peru is the native habitat of this very rare species ; I say very rare, because as yet few 

 examples have been sent to Europe; there is, however, a very fine one in the Collection of the Jardin des 

 Plantes at Paris, and I have been fortunate enough to procure three or four for my own. One of these was 

 sent to me by Don Manuel Villavicencio, from Quejos in the neighbourhood of the Napo, the others were 

 killed on the banks of the Maranon by M. Warszewicz. 



The name of Matthews, to whom this bird has been dedicated, will live as long as the study of 

 Ornithology holds a place among the natural sciences, as the discoverer of the wonderful Humming Bird 

 called Loddigesia mirabiUs, which is still unique, and forms the chief gem of the Loddigesian Collection ; I 

 regret to add that the life of its discoverer fell a victim to the pestiferous region in which it was found. 



Of the habits and economy of the PmiopUtes Mattliewsi, nothing is at present known ; they are doubtless 

 very similar to those of its near allies the P, Jardini and P.flamscens, but of these, unfortunately, little has 

 been recorded. I believe the sexes to be similarly coloured, all the examples I have seen being precisely 

 alike. 



Feathers of the head, neck and throat rich shining green, the basal portion of the lower feathers of the 

 throat being chestnut-red ; wing-coverts, back and upper tail-coverts bronzy green ; under surface of the 

 shoulders and under surface of the body rich chestnut-red ; wings purplish brown ; two central tail-feathers 

 greenish bronze ; the remainder cinnamon-red tipped with greenish bronze; bill black. 



The figures are of the natural size. 



