HELIOMASTER ALBICRISSA, Go«/rf. 



White-vented Star-throat. 



Heliomaster alhicrissa, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1871, p. 504. — Sclater & Salvin, Nomencl. 

 Av. Neotr. p. 90 (1873).— Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, ii. p. 274 



(1876). 

 Floricola alhierissa, Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 83 (1878). 



Mr. Elliot has placed tlie present species in the genus Floncola\ hut as the term Heliomaster has hitherto 

 been used in this work as the generic name for these Humming-birds, we continue the practice. 



The following is a copy of the original remarks and description : — 



" In size it is about the same as H, longirostris and its near allies ; but it differs from them all in having a 

 still larger and longer bill and a much redder throat-mark, in the white spot on the external tail-feather 

 being longer or larger, in the lower part of the abdomen being white, in the under tail-coverts being 

 greyish white, instead of blackish green, with lighter edges, and in the glittering feathers of the crown being 

 of as pale, or nearly as pale a green as in the H. paUidiceps of Mexico. As the peculiar markings of the 

 tail and the under tail-coverts do not occur in H. longirostris of Trinidad and some parts of Venezuela, nor 

 in the H. sclateri of Costa Rica, I am induced to regard the present bird as new. 



''Throat fiery reddish purple; crown light glistening green; upper surface and two central tail-feathers 

 bronzy green, with the usual white mark in the centre of the back ; four outer feathers on each side bronzy 

 green, becoming nearly black towards the end, and tipped with white, the external one more largely than the 

 others ; wings purplish brown ; chest grey ; flanks bronzy grey ; centre of the abdomen white ; bill black. 



'' Total length 4i inches, bill If, wing If, tail li, tarsi i. 



'' Hah, Citado, Ecuador." 



[R, B. S.] 



