SMARAGDOCHRYSIS IRIDESCENS, Govid. 



Iridescent Humming*-Bird. 



Calliphlox? iridescens, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xxviii. p. 310. 



During the progress of the present monograph I have repeatedly had the pleasure of offering my thanks 

 to Thomas Reeves, Esq., of Rio de Janeiro, for the liberal manner in which he placed at my disposal the 

 novelties pertaining to this group of birds which have from time to time come into his possession. This 

 gentleman, who has resided in Rio for many years, has lost no opportunity of securing examples of every 

 species that has been collected in that part of South America, which he has kindly forwarded to 

 me for the furtherance of the present work. Of all these birds, none have been of greater interest to me 

 than the one figured on the accompanying plate ; and this interest has been much enhanced by the circum- 

 stance of the bird having been killed by Mr. Reeves himself during a visit to Novo Friburgo, a district 

 skirting the virgin forests, about seventy miles from Rio. When he killed it, Mr. Reeves imagined it to be a 

 curious variety of the CaUiphlox amethystina ; but this is not the case, for it differs so much from that species 

 and all others, that I am even at a loss to know to what genus it is most nearly allied. For the present I 

 have placed it near the Chlorostilbontes^ as it more nearly resembles those birds in its style of colouring than 

 any others ; at the same time its delicate structure, diminutive wings, and deeply forked tail would lead to 

 the conclusion that it is allied to the members of the genus CaUiphlox. When additional examples have been 

 procured and the female has become known to us, then, and then only, shall we be able to determine its 

 proper situation. 



The whole of the body, including the upper and under tail-coverts, iridescent pale green and light coppery 

 red, most brilliant on the throat; the deeply forked tail steely dark brown, each feather tipped with a more 

 bronzy or purplish hue, which is seen only in certain lights ; upper mandible and the tip of the lower 

 black, the remainder of the latter apparently reddish flesh-colour. 



Total length 3i inches ; bill f ; wing lfV; tail \\. 



The figures are of the size of life. The plant is the Gesneria purpurea. 



one 



