INTRODUCTION. Ixxi 



Genus Spathura, Gould. 



(^TrdOt], spatha, et ovpa, cauda.) 



Generic characters. 



Male.— Bill straight and rather longer than the head ; wings moderately long and somewhat rounded ; tail 

 deeply forked ; the outer tail-feather on each side terminating in a spatule ; feet small ; tarsi thickly clothed ; hind 

 toe and nail shorter than the middle toe and nail ; throat luminous. 



Female. — Unadorned and destitute of spatules. 



182. Spathura Underwoodi Vol. III. PI. 162, 



Ornismya Kieneri, Less. Les Troch. p. 165, pi. 65, female. 



Cynanthus Underwoodi, Jard.-Nat. Lib. Humming-Birds, vol. ii. p. 144. 



Kienerii, Id. ib. p. 146. 



Steganura spatuligera, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. pp. 8 & 24 ; Id. Troch. Enum. p. 5, pi. 708. figs. 4598-4600. 



■ — Underwoodi, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 66. 



Steganura remigera, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. pp. 8, 24 ; Id. Troch. Enum. p. 5, pi. 708. figs. 4601-2. 



Steganurus remigera, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 67. 



Habitat. The neighbourhood of Bogota, on the Andes, and the hilly portion of eastern Venezuela, 



In his ' Trochilinarum Enumeratio' Dr. Reichenbach has figured a white-booted Racket-tail under the name 

 of Steganura remigera, which, after a careful examination of the type specimen, I have no doubt is identical with this 

 species, I have therefore placed that name among its synonyms. 



183. Spathura melananthera, Jard Vol. III. PL 163. 



Habitat. Ecuador. 



Mr. Eraser, who procured specimens of S. melananthera at Pallatanga and Nanegal in Ecuador, states that its 

 feet are " white." 



184. Spathura Peruana, Gould Vol. III. PL 164. 



Habitat. Moyobamba in Peru. 



185. Spathura RUFOCALiGATA, Gould .......... Vol. III. PL 165. 



Habitat. La Paz in Bolivia. 



The Trochihis Addce of M. Bourcier is considered to be identical either with the aS. Peruana or the present bird ; 

 in all probability it was applied to the latter ; and if this should prove to be the case, the term Addce, having been 

 proposed prior to that of rufocaligata, should be adopted for this species. 



186. Spathura cissiura, Gould Vol. III. PL 166. 



Habitat, Peru. 



Perhaps the next in affinity, although not directly allied, are the members of the genus Lesbia, which are 

 equally confined to the Andes, and fly at the same elevation as the Spathurce. Like those birds, they are distributed 

 along that great chain of mountains, throughout many degrees of latitude on each side of the equator. They may 

 be regarded as among the most elegant of the Trochihdce. Their long and deeply cleft tails would seem to indicate 

 that they possess very great powers of aerial progression, — a remark which equally applies to the members of the 

 genera Cynanthus and Cometes. 



Genus Lesbia, Less. 



187. Lesbia GouLDi VoLIILPLl67. 



Agaclyta Gouldi, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 70. 



Habitat. The high lands of New Granada, particularly the neighbourhood of Bogota. 



188. Lesbia gracilis, Gould VoL III. PL 168. 



Habitat. Ecuador. 



189. Lesbia Nuna VoL HI. PL 169. 



Habitat. Peru. 



Refer to my remarks respecting this bird in the letter-press accompanying the Plate. 



190. Lesbia Amaryllis . . VoL HI. PL 170, 



Trochihis VictoricB, Bourc. Rev. ZooL 1846, p. 315, pi. 4. 



