PHAETHORNIS SYRMATOPHORUS, Gould. 



Train-bearing- Hermit. 



Phaethornis SyrmatopJiorus, Gould in Jard. Orn. Cont., 1851. 



I AM indebted to Professor Jameson of Quito for several examples of this new species of Phaethornis, 

 which had been procured in the neighbourhood of that city. In all probabiUty, the eastern portions of 

 Peru, from the Equator to Bolivia, are the true and proper habitat of the bird. Certain it is, that I have 

 never seen examples from any part of Columbia, which tends to strengthen this supposition. The species 

 to which it seems to be most nearly allied is the P, Eurynome-^ but it differs from that and every other 

 I have seen in several particulars, namely in the rich huffy hue which pervades the lower part of the 

 abdomen and the under tail-coverts ; in the zone of rich buff which occupies the lower part of the back and 

 the upper tail-coverts ; in the lateral tail-feathers being very short, and largely tipped with buff; in the two 

 central tail-feathers being very long, much broader and of a looser texture; and moreover, having their 

 apical halves pure white, which i^enders them very conspicuous, and has suggested the specific name of 

 Syrmatophorus or Train-bearer. 



Mr. Bridges brought from Bolivia a single specimen of a bird so closely resembling this species in 

 general appearance, that I am inclined to think it may be a female of the present bird, the chief differences 

 being its smaller size, and the somewhat narrower form of the apical halves of tlie central tail-feathers : it 

 may, however, prove to be distinct. 



Crown of the head and back of the neck dark brown, most of the feathers narrowly edged with buff; 

 back and shoulders bronzy green, with crescentic bands of buff; rump and upper tail-coverts rich buff, 

 forming a conspicuous mark ; chin white ; a huffy-white mark surmounts the eye, and extends backward 

 down the sides of the neck ; chest, abdomen, and under tail-coverts rich buff; basal half of the two central 

 tail-feathers black on the edges, and green in the centre ; their apical half white ; lateral feathers greyish 

 black, largely tipped with buff; wings purplish brown ; upper mandible blackish brown ; under mandible 

 orange-red ; feet brown. 



Tlie figures are of the natural size. The beautiful plant is the Rondeletia versicolor. 



