CH^TOCERCUS BOMBUS, Oouid. 



Little Wood-Star. 



Ch(Etocercu8 bomhus, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 804.— Elliot, Synopsis, 1879, p. 121 

 Polyxemus homhus, Muls. Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, torn. iv. p. 123 (1879). 



The beautiful little Wood-Star of which I am now attempting a description is the smallest Humming-bird 

 known. I have seen enough of it to see that it is a charming little gem that will please every one. A few 

 years ago I received four specimens — three dried males, and one female. I soon made my drawing and 

 commenced the description, both generic and specific. The former was easv ; but a specific appellation was 

 not so readily determined upon. At last I hit upon the specific name oi bombus. 



Tliis little Wood-Star has a beautiful puce-coloured throat. The wings are very diminutive, and must be 

 moved with the greatest rapidity to carry even this little bird through the air. The outer tail-feathers are 

 a sort of hair-like spines, such as are seldom seen in a bird. I may state that this Huuiming-bird looking 

 like a great humble-bee suggested to me the specific name of bombus. 



The following description was given by me at the meeting of the Zoological Society, December 6th, 

 1870:— 



"This species must be classed with the most diminutive of the Trochilidee. In its general aj)i)earance 

 and in its coloration it strongly reminds one of Ch^tocercm rosce, while in some parts of its structure, 

 j)articularly in the form of its two hair-like outer tall-feathers, it resembles Acestura mulsantt\ its wing is 

 even smaller and shorter than that of the little A. heliodori. It must, however, be placed, as I believe it 

 is correctly, in the genus ChcBtocercus, 



"The following is a more minute description and admeasurement of this little bird. 



'''Male, — Crown of the head, upper surface, and abdomen bronzy green ; throat brilliant crimson-red, 

 nearly surrounded by a mark of buflf, forming a conspicuous band across the chest (a feature distinguishing 

 it from Chcetocercus ros(B, in which the band occupying the same space is white); wings purplish black ; the 

 tail-feathers the same, with the exception of the third or longest on each side, on which there is a very 

 narrow edging of buflf near the base of the inner margin ; the two outer tail-feathers very fine and hair-like, 

 the four central ones extremely small, so much so as to be hidden beneath the tail-coverts ; bill and legs 

 black. 



"Total length 21 inches, bill i%, wing xf, longest tail-feathers f, tarsi i. 



''Female, — Larger than the male. Crown and upper surface green ; throat and under surface chestnut- 

 brown ; tail, which is extremely short and even, deep chestnut-brown, banded with black across the centre 

 of each feather. 



"Total length 2\ inches, billf. wing U, tail i, tarsi i 



''Hab. Citado in Ecuador." 



