EUPHERUSA EGREGIA, Sci. Sr Saiv. 



Panama Stripe-tail. 



Eupherusa egregia, Sclater & Salvin, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1868, p. 389.— Lawrence, Ann. Lye. 

 New York, 1869, p. 146.— Salvin, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 210.— Sclater & 

 Salvin, Nomenel. Av. Neotr. p. 92 (1873).— Mulsant, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux- 

 Mouches, i. p. 274 (1874).— Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 213 



(1878). 



Polytmits egregiiis, Gray, Hand-list of Birds, i. p. 133, no. 1701 (1869). 



Of the three known species of Eupherusa, E, poUocerca Inhabits Mexico, E. €cVi7nia Guatemala, and 

 E. egregia Costa Rica and Panama. The latter is distinguished from E. ewmia in the tail-markings, the 

 four central feathers being dark greenish bronze, and the remainiiig feathers white margined with black. 



E, egregia was discovered by the well-known collector Arce at Castello and Calovevora, in the province of 

 Veragua, in the State of Panama. Messrs. Sclater and Salvin give the following account of it : — "Arce has 

 sent two specimens of this apparently distinct species of Eupherusa in one of his collections from Western 

 Veragua. The male is not quite adult, and would probably eventually lose all traces of the irregular dark 

 margins of the outer tail-feathers, as in the female no traces of these spots appear. In E. eccimia the whole 

 outer web of the two external rectrices is black, which renders the two allies readily distinguishable." 



The following is a translation of the original description : — 



'* Above bright green, the primaries dusky tinged with purple, the secondaries chestnut at base, with the tip 

 purple ; underneath shining green, with the belly whitish ; two outer tail-feathers on each side white, 

 externally irregularly margined and tipped with black ; the six middle ones black, tinged on the upper 

 surface of the outer web with bronze; bill black; feet yellow. Total length 4 inches, wing 2*3, tail 1*4, 

 bill from gape 0*85. 



''Female. With the under surface white, some of the lateral feathers margined with shining green; two 

 lateral tail-feathers entirely white." 



[R. B, S.] 



