DORIFERA VERAGUENSIS, s«&m 



Verag'uan Lance-bill. 



Dorifeva veraguensis, Salvin, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 154. 



Boryfera veraguensis, Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, i. p. 199 (1874). 



Ilemistephania veraguensis, Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 82 (1878) 



The very dark shade of the green under-surface, coupled with the metalHc green forehead, which is darker 

 than in D. ludodicice^ serves to render this species recognizable from the last-named bird. It was described 

 by Mr, Osbert Salvin from Veraguan skins collected by Enrique x4rce ; and I have a skin in my collection 

 said to be from Costa Rica ; but there may be some doubt as to the correctness of this locality. 



Mr. Salvin published the followwing remarks when first calling attention to the distinctness of the 

 Veraguan bird: — '' There seems to be considerable individual variation between members of this species ; 

 or I should be inclined to separate, as a distinct race, the bird found in Veragua, a single specimen only of 

 which has as yet reached me. The shining forehead is considerably darker and of a bluer shade, the bill 

 longer, and the under plumage blacker than in a New Granadian specimen of D. ludovicice before me ; the 

 wings, too, are shorter. Should the receipt of additional specimens confirm the constancy of these 

 distinctions, I propose for this race the name o^ Dorifera veragiiensis'' 



The Plate represents two males and a female bird, drawn from specimens lent to me by Messrs. Salvin 

 and Godman. 



