THAUMATIAS MILLERI. 



Miller's Emerald. 



Trochilus Milleri, Lodd. MSS. ined. Bourc. in Proc. Zool. Soc., pt. xv. p. 43. 

 Pohjtmus Milleri, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 108, Polytmus, sp. 46 

 Thaumatias milleri, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 78, Thaumatias, sp. 4. 

 Agyrtria Milleri, Reich. Auf. der Col., p. 10. 

 Thaumaniias milleri, Bonap. Rev. Zool. 1854, p. 255. 



Miller's Emerald was first described by M. Bourcier of Paris in the " Proceedings of the Zoological Society 

 of London," the specific name of Milleri being adopted by him from the late Mr. George Loddiges' MSS. 

 It is not known why Mr. Loddiges gave the bird this specific appellation, unless it was from a desire to 

 perpetuate the name of a surgeon in the Royal Navy, who paid considerable attention to the Humming- 

 birds while stationed on the Pacific side of South America. 



The Thaumatias Milleri is a diminutive and chastely-coloured species, distinguished by its snow-white 

 breast and glittering crown ; in size it is very similar to T brevirostris, with which it might be confounded 

 had it a less brilliant forehead. The native habitat of the species is the Andes of Columbia and the 

 countries lying to the westward towards the upper part of the Rivers Negro and Amazon : most of the 

 specimens which have reached this country are from Bogota. It is by no means a common bird, and but 

 few collectors are in possession of examples ; we are, indeed, so little acquainted with it that it would be 

 unsafe to say if the female differs in plumage from her mate ; in all probability she is very similarly coloured, 

 but her hues are less bright and contrasted in all their tints, particularly in the glittering portion of the 

 crown and occiput. 



The crown, sides of the head, and the sides and back of the neck rich glittering grass-green ; upper 

 surface and wing-coverts bronzy green ; wings purplish black ; tail-feathers greyish green with a transversal 

 mark of brown near the tip of all but the two central ones ; throat snow-white ; under surface of the body 

 greyish white washed with green on the flanks, the green meeting and forming a band across the breast ; 

 upper mandible and tip of the lower mandible black; the basal portion fleshy. 



The Plate represents the birds of the natural size. The plant is the Comparettia falcata. 



