ERIOCNEMIS MOSQUERA. 



Mosquera's Puff-leg-. 



Trochilus Mosquera, Bourc. et De Latt. Rev. Zool. 1846, p. 306. 



Hylocharis mosquera, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 114, Hylocharis, sp. 5 



Eriopus mosquera, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 80, Eriopus, sp. 5. 



It is only of late years that any species of this singular genus has been discovered ; only in fact since the 

 higher Andes have been visited by European collectors, and their attention called to the rich productions 

 which there abound. For the discovery of the present bird we are indebted to M. De Lattre, who procured 

 it at Pasto in New Grenada, and who in conjunction with his friend M. Bourcier named it Mosquera, in 

 honour of General Mosquera, President of the Republic of New Grenada, a distinguished patron of science 

 and natural history. 



In its rich golden colours it differs from every other species of the group to which it belongs, and parti- 

 cularly from E. Lnciani and E. cuprewentris, but at the same time it is more intimately allied to those species 

 than to any others. 



After examining numerous specimens of both sexes, I find but little difference in their colouring ; as 

 MM. Bourcier and De Lattre state, the female has a somewhat darker tail and the ruffs on the legs less 

 developed. 



General plumage golden green, becoming of a purer green on the wing-coverts, back and rump, and 

 passing again into luminous golden green on the extremities of the tail-coverts ; wings purplish brown ; 

 four central tail-feathers green ; the next on each side olive on the inner web, green on the outer, the next 

 olive, with a wash of green along the outer web and at the tip; the outer one olive, with a tinge of green at 

 the tip only ; under surface golden, becoming very bright on the throat and passing into green on the centre 

 of the abdomen ; under tail-coverts green ; thighs thickly clothed with white down ; bill blackish brown ; 

 under mandible lighter than the upper, or inclining to flesh-colour; feet dark brown. 



The figures represent the two sexes of the size of life. 



