GLAUCIS HIRSUTUS. 



Hairy Hermit. 



TrochUns Jdrmtus, Gmel. Edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., torn. i. p. 490.— VieiU. Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. 



Nat., 2nde Edit. torn. vii. p. 352.— lb. Ency. Meth. Orn., part ii. p. 556.— Dumont, 



Diet, des Sei. Nat., torn. x. p. 47.— Temm. PI. Col. 120. fig. 2.— Less. Hist. Nat. 



des Col., p. 80. pi. 21.— Jard. Nat. Lib. Humming Birds, vol. ii. p. 129. pi. 29.— 



Less. Traite d'Orn., p. 290. 

 Fhmtliornm hirsutiis, Jard. & Selb. 111. Orn., vol. iii. pi. 143. 

 Folytmm Brasilianus, Briss. Orn., tom. iii. p. 670. 

 Trochihis Brasiliensis, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 308. 

 Colibris a ventre roussatre, Buff. Hist. Nat. des Ois., tom. vi. p. 63. 

 Le Colihri a pieds v^tus, Vieill. Ois. Dor., tom. i. p. 40. pi. 20. & p. 122. pi. 68. 

 Pohjtmus Mrsutus, Gray and Miteh. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 108, Pohjfmtis, sp. 33. 

 Glaucis Mrsufus, Boie in Oken's Isis, 1831.— Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 67, Glands, sp. 1.— 



lb. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 249. 

 Rufous-bellied Humming Bird, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. ii. p. 760.— lb. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 315. 



— Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 302. 

 Glaucis hirsuta, Reichenb. Aufz. der Colibris, p. 15. — lb. Troeh. enumer., p. 12. 



It is very generally admitted by Trochilidists that there are two most nearly allied species of Glaucis, which 

 have been respectively named hirsutus and Mazeppa ; the former name having been given by Gmelin to a 

 Brazilian bird, and the latter by Lesson to a species inhabiting Guiana ; but it yet remains to be seen whether 

 they are really distinct. On examining again for the twentieth time the very numerous series of birds of 

 this form from various parts of South America contained in my collection, I have not been able satisfactorily 

 to determine if they are all referable to one and the same, or if they constitute two or three species. I have 

 looked for assistance in vain to the plates and descriptions published by Vieillot, Lesson, and others ; they 

 tend rather to confuse than to afford any clue to a just discrimination. The colouring of the examples I 

 possess, favours the opinion that there are three distinct species, or if not species, well-marked local 

 varieties. Of these, one, inhabiting the eastern parts of Brazil generally, from Rio de Janeiro to the 

 Amazon, and even extending its range to Guiana and Trinidad, may, if it should ultimately prove that 

 there are more than one species, bear the name oi hirsutus, the specimen to which Gmelin applied that term 

 being from the Brazils. A somewhat smaller bird, with a greater amount of white on the tips of the tail- 

 feathers, and with the rufous colouring of the under surface extending farther on to the sides of the neck and 

 flanks, and which is rather widely diffused over Cayenne, British and Dutch Guiana, Tobago, and perhaps 

 some other of the West India Islands, if distinct, may have the name of Mazeppa retained for it. The third, 

 which is more nearly allied to the Brazilian than to the Guiana bird, is from Bogota : this, which has the throat 

 and abdomen much suffused with green, has not yet, I believe, received a specific appellation, and for the 

 present I do not venture upon proposing one ; trusting that time and research will throw more light upon 

 the subject, and enable us to clear up the confusion at present existing. What course then am I to take, 

 with regard to the numerous synonyms referring to these birds ? Perhaps it would be better to omit them 

 altogether, since it is almost impossible to determine with certainty to which of the birds they apply ; but as 

 this might not be considered satisfactory, I have quoted above all that appear to me to refer to the bird here 

 represented ; the others will be found under Mazeppa, should it prove to be distinct. 



M. Lesson questions whether his Mazeppa may not be the female of a species unknown to us, but to this 



