OREONYMPHA NOBILIS, Gould. 



Bearded Mountaineer. 



Oreo7iympha nobilis, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 295.— Sclater & Salvin, torn, cit. p. 600 

 — Whitely, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1874, p. 676.— Mulsant & Verr. Hist. Nat. Ois. 

 Mouches, iii. p. 139.— Elliot, Synopsis of the Trochilid^, p. 157. 



Nobody who has examined a specimen of this Humming-bird has hesitated to designate it as one of the 

 most striking of the whole family ; and as for myself, I look upon it as one of the finest species of 

 Humming-bird that I ever described. Its large size and the great development of the feathers of its crown 

 and beard render it a remarkable bird to look at; and the admirable way in which the original skins were 

 prepared justify the large price of twenty pounds which I had to pay for my first specimen. 



After recording the capture of the species, I at once requested Mr. Whitely to write to his son in Peru 

 urging him to endeavour to procure the female, and also to send some notes on the species itself. The 

 result was that the hen bird was soon afterwards forwarded by Mr. Henry Whitely, together with a note 

 on the habits of the Bearded Mountaineer. "The first specimen," he says, "I obtained of this bird was 

 atTinta; but I have since found it in the province of Cuzco, and also on the highroad between Tinta 

 and Cuzco. How strange it seems, after so many years have passed since the discovery of Peru, and so 

 many distinguished people have travelled over the same road, that they have never made mention nor 

 obtained a specimen of this beautiful bird ! 



"Its flight is very peculiar. It takes a flight from one flower in the direction of another, perhaps some 

 two or three hundred yards off, and all of a sudden comes to a dead stop, throws the body up vertically, 

 the tail being spread out, and the beautiful crown and beard glittering in the sunshine. This action is 

 frequently repeated in the passage from one flowering shrub to another, evidently for the purpose of taking 

 insects in the air. 



"This is one of the few Humming-birds where colour is seen to great advantage. In most of the 

 species it is never seen till the bird is shot; this is especially observable in ^^/j::^^?^/^' C6fX/^///6r^^fi^^ where 

 male and female are adorned with a tuft of white feathers on the breast, and it is impossible to distinguish 

 male from female in the living state." 



The following is the original description which I gave of this beautiful bird : — 



"Bill and legs black ; crown blue, with a streak of black down the centre; on the throat a lengthened 

 streak of brilliant feathers, of which those nearest the bill are green, those which succeed are reddish 

 purple, the whole being bordered on each side with black ; sides of the neck and chest greyisli white ; 

 abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts mottled white, grey, and light brown ; back of the neck and upper 

 surface bronzy brown ; wings purplish brown ; outer tail-feather on each side white, with a longitudinal 

 streak of bronzy brown at the tip of the inner web; the next on each side the same, but the bronzy mark 

 of greater extent; the centre feathers entirely bronze as in Ojoypogoji, Total length 6 inches, bill li, 

 wing 3i, tail 3, tarse i." 



The Plate represents two old males and a female, drawn from specimens in my own possession. These 

 were procured by Mr. Henry Whitely at a height of 11,500 feet above the level of the sea. 



Notwithstanding the long and stout bill, I consider this form to be allied to Oxijpogon and Rhampho^ 

 micron ; all three forms have the gular ornament, as well as a laxity of ])lumage and very flexible taiU 



feathers, 



I consider my Plate is improved by the introduction of one of the shrubs of the Andes {Chuquiraga 

 insignis), sent home by my departed friend Jameson. This sprig was hung up in the shade and not put 

 under pressure. 



Sizes of female and young male, with their colours, are now given : — 



Female. Crown of head brown, covered with very fine feathers, speckled with dull green; throat brown, 



