HELIANGELUS STROPHIANUS, Gould. 



Gorgeted Sun Angel. 



Trochilus ( ?) stropkianus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xiv. p. 45. 



Mellisuga stropkiana, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 112, Mettisuga, sp. 39. 

 Heliangehts stropkianus, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 76, Heliangelus, sp. 5. — lb. Rev. etMag 



de Zool. 1854, p. 252. 

 Anactoria Strophiana, Reichenb. Aufz. der Colibris, p. 12. 



Although the Heliangelus stropkianus presents the general appearance of H. Clarissa, it nevertheless 

 possesses several peculiarities by which it may be at once distinguished from that species : thus, it is a 

 larger and more powerful bird ; has a shorter bill ; a more distinctly defined and whiter gorget ; the tail 

 entirely steel-black, with elongated outer feathers, giving that organ a forked form ; the crown of the head 

 green ; the lower part of the back strongly tinged with brown; and the sides of the chest and lower part 

 of the abdomen of a deeper grass-green. The native country of this fine species is Ecuador and Northern 

 Peru, to which it appears to be confined ; for I have never seen an example from Bogota, its place there 

 being supplied by H. Clarissa, and in Bolivia by H. amelhysticollis. Many specimens were brought to 

 Europe by M. Bourcier, and some fine male examples have been transmitted to me by my friend Professor 

 Jameson, who collected them in the neighbourhood of Quito, which I regard as the head-quarters of the 

 species. 



The male has a spot of luminous green on the forehead ; the crown of the head, all the upper surface 

 and abdomen dull green ; behind the eye a small spot of white ; chin black ; throat rich violet-red or puce- 

 colour, the blue or violet hue slightly increased on the upper and lateral margins ; below this a clearly 

 defined gorget of wbite ; rump and upper tail-coverts greenish brown ; centre of the back, wing-coverts and 

 under surface green ; lores and sides of the neck black ; wings purplish black ; tail steel- or bluish black ; 

 under tail-coverts white, streaked with dark brown ; bill black ; feet brown. 



The female has a faint indication of the luminous mark on the forehead ; head, upper surface and two 

 central tail-feathers bronzy green, lateral tail-feathers black ; throat dull mottled black and brown, and a 

 slight indication of the white gorget. 



The figures are of the natural size. The plant is the Plumieria Jamesoni. 



