Ixxii INTRODUCTION. 



Mellisuga Victorice, Gray cSc Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 1 03, Mellisuga, sp. 54. 

 Cynajithis v'lctorice, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Ay. torn. i. p. 81. Cynanthits, sp. 6. 

 Lesbia Victoriae, Reichenb, Aufz. der Col. p. 8 ; Id. Troch. Enum. p. 5, pi. 715. figs. 4622-23. 

 Psalidoprymna Victoriae, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 52. 

 Habitat, New Granada^ Ecuador, and Peru. 



Dark or nearly black varieties not unfrequently occur among the Trochilidse ; and I think that the bird to 

 which M. Bourcier has given the name of Victorice is merely such a variety of the L. Amaryllis, 



191. Lesbia eucharis Vol. III. PL 171. 



Lesbia bifurcata, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 5, pi. 716. figs. 4624-25. 



Habitat. New Granada. 



Considerable, and I fear inextricable, confusion exists with regard to the genera Lesbia and Cynanthns, which 

 would appear to be due to the various authors who have used those terms taking their characters from defective 

 descriptions or imperfect drawings, instead of actual specimens. This confusion I have endeavoured to rectify by 

 applying the terms to the birds which I believe their respective proposers actually intended, and I do hope that, 

 for the sake of science, they will be allowed so to stand for the future. 



Leaving the genus Lesbia, then, we proceed to that of Cynanthus, and here we arrive at some of the most 

 remarkable and the most beautiful of the TrochiUdse. Strictly confined to the great Andean mountains and the 

 spurs which jut out as far as eastern Venezuela, these blue- tailed birds enjoy a range of habitat extending from 

 the lands washed by the Caribbean Sea to Peru. 



Those inhabiting the neighbourhood of Bogota appear to be divided into two or three local varieties or races ; 

 for they are not, in my opinion, sufficiently different to warrant us in regarding them as species. On the other 

 hand, the Ecuadorian bird possesses characters which induced me to consider it distinct. 



The variation observable among the Bogotan birds is principally in the colouring of the tail— some having the 

 whole of the feathers blue, while others have the eight central ones tipped with beautiful green. 



Genus Cynanthus, Swains. 



192. Cynanthus cyanurus Vol. Ill PI 172 



Lesbia forficatus, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. p. 8 ; Id. Troch. Enum. p. 5, pi. 718. figs. 4628-29. 



Lesbia Gorgo, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. pp. 8, 24 ; Id, Troch. Enum. p. 5 ; Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 71. 



Habitat, New Granada. 



A somewhat smaller and more dehcate bird than the Cynanthus cyanurus occurs in Venezuela, having the whole of 

 the body green, with the exception of a patch of blue on the throat ; and the crown brilliant metallic green, without 

 the supercihary stripe of black seen in that species : I refrain, however, for the present from characterizing it as 

 distinct. 



193. Cynanthus ccelestis, Gould. 

 Habitat. Ecuador. 



This new Humming-Bird is considerably larger than the C. cyanurus; it also presents a marked diff^erence in 

 the colouring of the under-surface, which is uniform coppery brown, instead of green ; in other respects the 

 colouring is very similar to the specimens from Bogota, with green and blue tails. In no instance have I seen a 

 specimen from Ecuador with an entirely blue tail, whereas they frequently occur among those sent from Bogota. 



194. Cynanthus Mocoa. 



Cynanthus smaragdicaudus, Gould . tt i ttt -r»i , ^ , 



_ ^ ' Vol. III. PI. 173. 



Habitat. Peru and Bolivia. 



Specimens of this species, like those of the C. cyanurus, are found to differ considerably ; but as it is a bird of 

 comparative rarity, Ave have seen too few examples to come to any positive conclusion as to whether these are 

 referable to one or two species. Tlie C. Mocoa may be regarded as the southern representative of the C. cyanurus. 

 It frequents the forests of Bolivia and Peru, particularly those clothing the eastern slopes of the great Andean range. 



As the LeslicB naturally led us on to the CynantU, so do the latter in their broad tail-feathers offer an alliance 

 to the Comet<B ; and, however much I have extolled the beauty of any of the preceding genera, it is scarcely possible 



