PHAETHORNIS VIRIDICAUDATA, Gould. 



Green-tailed Hermit. 



Phaethornis viridicaudata, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xxv. p. 14. 



It would appear that some of the smaller members of the genus Phaethornis have the lower part of the back 

 and upper tail-coverts buff, while in others those parts are uniform with the upper surface ; it is the latter 

 style of colouring which prevails in the bird here figured. Its native country is the interior, and I believe 

 the western parts, of Brazil ; but its range may extend to the confines of Peru, for there is a specimen in 

 the Museum at Neufchatel, procured by Dr. Tschudi, with the name oi pygmceus of Spix attached to it, 

 which, if not identical with this bird, is most closely allied to it- 



As will be seen on reference to the accompanying Plate, the Phaethornis viridicaudata is a very pretty 

 species, rendered conspicuous by the rich colouring of the chest and the rather lengthened form of its tail. 

 The two specimens in my collection are all that have come under my notice, unless the bird procured by 

 Dr. Tschudi should prove to be the same. 



Stripe over and behind the eye buff; crown of the head, upper surface and wing-coverts bronzy grass- 

 green, duller on the head ; wings purplish brown ; tail-feathers bronzy grass-green at the base, passing into 

 dark brown towards the extremity, the central feathers tipped with white, and the remainder with white on 

 the apical portion of the external web ; chest reddish buflf, becoming paler on the abdomen and vent ; an 

 obscure light grey stripe below the eye ; upper mandible black ; basal two-thirds of the lower mandible 

 yellow, tip black ; legs yellow. 



The figures are of the natural size. The plant is the Galipea macrophylla. 



