PETASOPHORA ANAIS. 



Columbian Violet-Ear. 



Ramphodon Anais, Less. Hist. Nat. desTroch., p. 146. pi. 55. 



Petasophora Anais, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, Part xv. p. 8. 



Polytmus Anais, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 108, Polytmus, sp. 27 



Colibri Anais, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 69, Colibri, sp. 3. 



Trochilus thalassinus, Jard. Nat. Lib. Humming Birds, vol. ii. p. 47. 



Trochilus Anais, Jard. ib. p. 1. 



Great confusion exists with respect to the synonymy of the birds to which the term Anais has been 

 applied, and which is chiefly, if not solely, attributable to the carelessness of M. Lesson, who, not per- 

 ceiving their specific differences, has published at least three species of this genus under that name, — has 

 described another bird of a totally different form in the "Revue Zoologique" for 1838 and 1839 under the 

 same appellation, — and has moreover added considerably to the confusion by giving incorrect habitats to 

 the birds his figures are intended to represent ; this confusion I have endeavoured to unravel, by assigning 

 the various synonyms to the birds to which they appear respectively to belong ; and by retaining the term 

 Anais as the specific distinctive for the one so commonly sent as such in collections from Santa Fe de 

 Bogota, and which will be more readily recognized by a reference to the accompanying Plate than by the 

 most accurate description. 



This species, which appears to be strictly confined to the mountainous districts of Columbia, is especially 

 abundant in the neighbourhood of Bogota, whence its range extends northwards to the Caraccas and south- 

 wards to the confines of Peru ; it neither descends to the hot plains below nor upwards to the bleak 

 mountain sierras, but dwells in the luxuriant and temperate regions lying between these extremes, and 

 where it is so numerous that it is more commonly met with than any other species. I have never seen an 

 example from the Mexican side of the Isthmus of Panama, consequently the habitat of Mexico assigned to 

 it by M. Lesson would seem to be incorrect. Little or nothing has been recorded of its habits, and we only 

 know that it is very pugnacious and drives every other species from its feeding-ground. It will be seen that 

 the nestling birds, which are drawn from specimens in my collection, assume much of the fine colouring of 

 the adults before they have left the nest ; the blue colouring of the ear-coverts, the chin and the abdomen, 

 and the verditer hue of the tail, being nearly as rich as in the adults. In this early stage of their existence, 

 however, there is no trace of the rich chequered metallic green plumage of the breast ; that part being 

 clothed with a velvety blackish green hue, which is not exchanged for the gayer colouring until the bird has 

 attained a size nearly equal to that of the adult, probably not until the spring moult of the following year. 

 Much difference exists in the size of the sexes, the females being nearly a third less than the males, but in 

 colour they are precisely alike. 



Head, all the upper surface, including the wing-coverts and the flanks, rich shining green ; wings purplish 

 brown ; tail deep bluish green, crossed near the tip with a broad chalybeate band ; the two central feathers 

 washed with bronze, and the tips of all shining green ; chin, line under the eye, ear-coverts and centre of 

 the abdomen rich shining purplish blue ; fore part of the neck and breast luminous green, with a streak of 

 a darker hue down the centre of each feather, giving the whole a sparkling chequered appearance ; under 

 tail-coverts grey, washed on the centre with green ; bill black ; feet blackish brown. 



In immature birds the upper surface is bronzy green, and the luminous green of the throat is at first 

 entirely wanting, but is afterwards gradually assumed as the bird approaches to maturity ; in other respects 

 the plumage is similar to that of the adult. 



The figures represent a male, a female, two young birds and a nest, all of the natural size. The beautiful 

 plant is the Cantua pyrifolia. 



