PTOCHOPTERA lOL^EMA 



Natterei's Wood-Nymph. 



Riccordia iol^ema, Reiclienb. Aufz. der Colibr. p. 8 (1853). — Id. Trocli. enum. p. 4, pi. 705, 

 figs. 4588-89 (1855). 



Polytmus iol(jemus, Gray, Hand-list of Birds, i. p. 131, no 1667 (1869). 



Thalurania iolce^na, Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 57 (1871). — Salvin & Elliot, Ibis, 1873, p. 361. 



Ptochoptera iolmma, Elliot, Ibis, 1874, p. 261. — Mulsant, Hist. Nat Oiseaux-Mouclies, ii. 

 p. 89 (1876).— Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 130 (1878).— Eudes- 

 Deslongchamps, Ann. Mas. d'Hist. Nat. de Caen, i. p. 509 (1880). 



Only a single specimen of this species has as yet been discovered, which is now in the Vienna 

 Museum. It was found by the celebrated traveller Natterer, at Maribatanas, on the banks of the Rio Negro. 



Mr. Elliot, who has seen the type, describes it as a small bird of rather plain plumage, but with a 

 brilliant throat, and he has placed it in the vicinity of the genus Smaragdochrym in his ' Synopsis.' 



The following is the description of the male given by Mr. Elliot in the above-mentioned work : — 

 ^' Top of head and nape dull dark green; entire upper parts grass-green, only slightly metallic. The 

 tail-coverts are of a lighter green than the back, and reach to the fork of the tail. Throat pale 

 metallic grass-green. Rest of underparts pale smoky brown, with some of the flank-feathers tij)ped 

 with grass-green. Under tail-coverts long, of the same colour as the abdomen, with a slight metallic 

 greenish lustre on the centre of the feathers. Tail long, deeply forked, dark purplish brown, the 

 feathers very narrow. Wings purplish brown. Bill and feet black. Total length 4| inches, wing If, 



tail 2, bill along gape f." 



[R. B. S.] 



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