GLAUCIS AFFINIS, Lawr. 



Allied Hermit. 



Olaucis affinis, Lawr. in Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist, of New York, vol, vi. p. 261 



In my account of Glands hirsuta I pointed out the differences which exist among specimens of this form 

 from the Andes of Bogota and those from Trinidad and Brazil, and remarked that the former, which has 

 the throat and abdomen suffused with green, and might therefore be regarded as distinct, had not yet 

 received a specific appellation. This has since been bestowed upon it by Mr. G. N. Lawrence, of New 

 York, who says, "This species is a near ally of G. hirsuta, and it is with some hesitation I have 

 ventured to characterize it as distinct. Mr. Gould, in his 'Monograph of the Trochilidse,* under G. 

 hirsuta, speaks of a bird from Bogota 'which has the throat and abdomen much suffused with green,' 

 which he thinks nearly allied to hirsuta, and possibly different ; but he does not incline to give it a specific 

 appellation until further light is obtained. The example I have described may be the same as the Bogota 

 bird, but differs so much in the sombre colouring of its under plumage from the more uniform rufous 

 which prevails in those parts in all the specimens I have seen from Cayenne, Trinidad, &c., and in the 

 much darker green of its upper plumage, that I cannot but regard them as different species." Specimens 

 from the banks of the Napo, to which Mr. Lawrence's remark applies, are somewhat darker-coloured 

 than those from Bogota ; still I have no doubt of their being referable to the same bird. 

 The following is Mr. Lawrence's description of this species : — 



" Top of the head dark brown ; back and wing-coverts shining grass-green ; upper tail-coverts fringed 

 with grey ; chin dark brownish grey ; centre of the throat dull brownish rufous ; sides of the neck and breast 

 dull dark green intermixed with rufous; abdomen and sides pale rufous; under tail-coverts white, with their 

 centres very pale fawn-colour, two centre tail-feathers dark green tipped with white, inside which is a narrow 

 black band ; the outer tail-feathers are chestnut-red for two-thirds of their length from the base, the 

 remainder purplish black with white tips ; wings purplish brown ; upper mandible black ; lower mandible 

 yellow with a black tip ; irides black ; feet pale yellow." 



The figures in the accompanying plate, which are of the size of life, were taken from Bogotan specimens. 

 The plant is the Lophnia malacophylla. 



