HELIOMASTER LONGIROSTRIS. 



Long*-billed Star-throat. 



Trochilus longirostris, Vieill. Ois. dor., torn. i. p. 107. pi. 59. — lb. 2nde Edit, du Nouv. Diet. 



d'Hist. Nat., torn. vii. p. 366.— lb. Ency. Meth. Orn., part ii. p. 566. 

 superbus, Shaw, Nat. Misc., vol. xiii. pi. 517. — lb. Gen. Hist., vol. viii. p. 323. pi. 41. 



fig. 2. — Ternm. PI. Col. 299. fig. 1. — Jard. Nat. Lib. Humming Birds, vol. ii. 



p. 94. 

 Ornismya superba, Less. Hist. Nat. des Ois. Mou., p. 40. pi. 2. — lb. Hist. Nat. des Col., p. 164. 



— Supp. des Ois. mou., pi. 33. — lb. Les Troch., p. 99. pi. 34. — lb. Traite d'Orn. 



p. 278. 

 Long-billed Humming Bird, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 354. 



Mellimga longirostris, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 112, Mellisuga, sp. 4. 

 Heliomaster longirostris, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av M p. 70, Heliomaster, sp. 2. 



Although not known to Linnaeus, this species of Humming Bird is one of those with which ornithologists 

 have been longest acquainted, having been figured early in the present century in Shaw's " Naturalist's 

 Miscellany," and the " Oiseaux dorees " of M. Vieillot. Most of the specimens contained in our collections 

 are from the island of Trinidad, where it appears to be common ; it also inhabits the neighbouring countries 

 of the continent — Demerara, Cayenne, and the Caraccas, specimens from all of which are precisely alike 

 in every particular. I have no positive evidence that it crosses to the Isthmus of Panama, or that it inhabits 

 the States of Veragua and Costa Rica, but a species is there found to which it is so nearly allied, that 

 the two birds might easily be confounded. 



The Heliomaster longirostrh is subject to considerable variation in its colouring, due either to age or sex, 

 but the true cause of which is at present unknown ; thus individuals are often found with the throat almost 

 entirely black, with a well-defined white line running from the gape down each side of the neck, and 

 with the whole of the under surface of a much lighter grey than is observed in others, in which the rich 

 colouring of the crown and throat is fully developed. 



The descriptions given below are of individuals exhibiting the extreme variations of plumage and the 

 intermediate state. 



Forehead and crown metallic green, slightly tinged with blue ; chin black ; throat luminous crimson ; 

 occiput and nape greenish bronze ; upper surface and wing-coverts shining green, with a bronzy lustre ; on 

 the centre of the back a longitudinal mark of white; wings deep purple-brown; two centre tail-feathers 

 bronzy green, the remainder bronzy green at the base, passing into the dull black of their apical portion 5 

 the outer feather on each side with a large oval spot of white at the extremity of the inner web, the next 

 with a smaller spot in the same position, and the third with a minute spot at the tip; below the eye a streak 

 of black, and beneath this another of white; under surface grey, with a broad irregular line of white down 

 the centre, and with a wash of green on the flanks, between which and the back is a tuft of snow-white 

 feathers; under tail-coverts olive-brown, margined and tipped with white; bill black; feet blackish 



brown. 



In another, perhaps the youthful state, the upper surface is brown, glossed with bronzy green; the white 

 spots at the tips of the outer tail-feathers are larger, especially that on the third ; the throat is black, 

 glossed on the lower part only with dull metallic crimson ; the under surface lighter, and the white mark 

 on the side of the face much more conspicuous. 



The supposed female is very similar to the last, but is altogether of a much darker or browner hue on 

 the upper surface, and has no trace of the crimson lustre on the throat ; both have the white mark on the 

 back and the white tufts on the sides equally conspicuous. 



The Plate represents two adult males, and what is supposed to be an adult female. 



