BOURCIERIA INSECTIVORA. 



Tschudi's Inca. 



Trochilus msectivorus, Tschudi, in Wiegm. Arch. 1844, p. 298. — Id. Faun. Peruan., Aves, 



p. 248, Taf. xxiii. fig. 1 (1844-46).— Gray, Hand-1. Birds, i. p 139, no. 1784 



(1869). 

 Bourcieria msectivora, Gould, Intr. Monogr. Trochil. p. 135 (1861). — Elliot, Ibis, 1876, 



p. 5. — Id. Synopsis of the liumming-Birds, p. 76 (1878). — Taczan. Proc. Zool. 



Soc, 1874, p. 543, 1882, p. 38.— Id. Orn. P^rou, p. 389 (1884). 

 Homophania insectivora, Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Ois.-Mouches,.ii. p. 320 (1876). 



This species was originally discovered by Dr. von Tschudi in Pern, between Hnari and Chagacancha ; but 

 the original specimen having been a female, it was difficult to determine the exact position of the species, 

 nor was it till the year 1876 that this question was solved by Mr. D. G. Elliot. In that year Mr. Elliot, 

 who had received a specimen of an adult male from Dr. TaczanowsKi, sent to the Neuchatel Museum for the 

 type of Tschudi's species, which was courteously forwarded by Dr. Coulon, the Director of that Museum, 

 and thus he was enabled to compare the two specimens, and to settle that the Humming-bird forwarded 

 by Dr. Taczanowski was the hitherto unknown male of Tschudi's Trochilus insectiwrus. 



The nearest ally of the present species, according to Mr. Elliot, is B.fulgidigula, from which it differs in 

 its metallic grass-green crown, this being bluish green in the last-named species. 



The species was re-discovered in Peru by the well-known Polish travellers, Jelski and Stolzmann. The 

 former met with it in Central Peru, in the valley of Vitoc, above Chilpes and at Puniamarca; the latter in 

 Northern Peru at Huambo (3000 ft.), at Ray-Urmana (7500 ft.), and on the road from Omia to Sorritor. 



Mr. Stolzmann writes:— "We met with this Humming-bird on the flowers of the Jmticia and on those 

 of a species oi Gerama, which climbed the trees to a great height. It appeared to be rare everywhere. At 

 Huambo I killed it on the flowers of the Alkon, and at Tamiapampa I met wnth it on one occasion on the 

 flowers of the lochromia .'' 



The following description of the sexes is given by Mr. Elliot in 'The Ibis ': — 



" Head and back of neck jet-black ; centre of the crown brilliant metallic golden green, very bright and 

 conspicuous. Throat metallic green, this colour extending over the sides of the neck, but much less brilliant, 

 being a kind of metallic gloss on the black of that part. Back and upper taiUcoverts metallic grass-green. 

 Wings like the back, primaries purplish brown. Upper part of breast, extendii3g to the green of the throat, 

 pure white; rest of underparts and under tail-coverts shining grass-green. Median tail-feathers shinino- 

 grass-green; remainder pure white tipped with green, this last becomirig more extensive as it proceeds 

 towards the outermost rectrices, which are nearly one third green from the tip, and running much further 

 towards the base on the outer web than on the inner. The bill is long, straight, and pointed, black throughout. 

 The feet flesh-colour. 



"The female (Tschudi's type) diflfers in having the head, throat, and upper parts shining green, with none 

 of the black observable in the male. Median rectrices green; rest white, tipped with black o-lossed with 

 green. The white is much more extensive upon the tail-feathers than on those of the male; but this 

 appears to be characteristic of the females of all the various species of the genus BourcieriaJ' 



The Plate represents a male and a female of the natural size, the figures being drawn from specimens lent 

 by Mr. Elliot. 



[R. B. S.l 



