PHAETHORNIS PHILIPPI. 



De Filippi's Hermit. 



Trochilus Pkilippii, Bourc. Ann. de la Soc. Sci. de Lyon, 1847, p. 623. 



De Filijjpii, Bourc. Rev. Zool. 1847, i^. 401. 



Phcetornis Philippi, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 104, Ph(jetornis, sp. 18. 

 Phaetornis pJdlippi, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Ay., p. 68, Paetornis, sp, 18. 

 OrtJiomis defilip)pi, Bonap. Rev. et Mag, de Zool. 1854, p. 249. 

 Ametrornis De Filippi, Reiclienb. Aufz. der Colibris, p. 14. 



I AM indebted for many favours to M. Bourcier, the great Trochilidist of France, who has paid more 

 attention to the Humming Birds than any other person on the Continent. In his Collection there are some 

 unique species, and this, which is one of them, has been kindly transmitted to me by that gentleman for 

 the purpose of being figured in the present work. It is a well-marked and very distinct species, differing 

 from all the other members of the genus Phaethornis in its rather long and almost straight bill ; in the four 

 lateral tail-feathers on each side being very conspicuously tipped with chestnut-red, and offering a great 

 contrast to the tips of the two central feathers, which are terminated with white. In the rufous colouring 

 of its upper and under tail-coverts it also differs from most of its congeners. I am unable to say in what part 

 of South America this bird was procured, and I believe that M. Bourcier is equally unaware of its proper 

 habitat. Dr. Reichenbach states that it is from Bolivia, on what authority I know not. Here then we 

 have further evidence that our knowledge of the Trochilidce is still very incomplete, the single example of 

 this species here represented being, so far as I am aware, the only one yet sent to Europe. M. Bourcier 

 has named it after Dr. De Filippi, Professor of Zoology in the University of Milan. 



Head, upper surface and wing-coverts bronzy green, slightly tinged with brown ; upper tail-coverts 

 bronzy brown, largely tipped with rufous; four lateral tail-feathers largely tipped with rufous, below this 

 a zone of brownish black, their basal portions bronzy green ; the two middle feathers are brownish black 

 for about two-thirds of their length from their base, the apical third being white ; wings purplish brown ; 

 all the under surface, from the chin to the vent, and the under tail-coverts rich reddish buff; upper 

 mandible brownish black ; under mandible, except the extreme tip, straw- or perhaps flesh-colour ; feet 

 light brown. 



The figures are of the natural size. 



