I 



DISCURA LONGICAUDA. 



Racket-tail. 



TrocMlus longicaudus, Gmel. Edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., torn. i. p. 498. 



r Oiseau-mouche a raquettes, Buff. Hist. Nat. des Ois., torn. vi. p. 23. — lb. Sonn. Edit., torn, xvii 



p. 177.— Vieill. Ois. Dor., torn. i. p. 98. pi. 52. 

 Mellisuga longicauda. Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 113, Mellisuga, sp. 55. 

 Discosura longicauda, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 84, Biscosura, sp. 1. 



Biscura longicauda, Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 256. — Reichenb. Aufz. der Col., p. 8. 

 Trochilus platurus, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 317. — Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., torn. vii. 



p. 370.— lb. Ency. Meth. Orn., part ii. p. 569.— Drapiez, Diet. Class. d'Hist. Nat., 



torn. iv. p. 327. — Prince Max, Beit, zur Naturg. von Bras., p. 96. 

 Ornismya platura, Less. Hist. Nat. des Ois.-mou., pp. xxij, 136. pi. 40. — lb. Ind. Gen. et Syn. 



des Ois. du Gen. Trochilus, p. xxiv. — lb. Traite d'Orn., p. 277. 

 Mellisuga platura, Steph. Cont. of Shaw's Gen. Zool., vol. xiv. p. 242. 

 Racket-tailed Humming-bird, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. ii. p. 782. — Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 316. 



— Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 338. 

 TrocMlus [Ocreatus) ligonicaudus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xiv. p. 86. 

 Biscosura ligonicaudus, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 84, Biscosura, sp. 2. 

 Biscura platura, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col., p. 8. 



It is to be regretted that the inappropriate name of longicaudus must be retained for this elegant little bird ; 

 that oi platurus, assigned to it by Latham, would be far more applicable ; but the law of priority established 

 by naturalists requires that the oldest name should be the one adopted, and I have no alternative but to bow 

 to their decision. 



Although the Biscura longicauda has been long known to ornithologists, no information has reached us 

 with respect to its habits and mode of flight, or on any other points connected with its economy. It does 

 not belong, as might be supposed, to that division of the Humming-birds, found in the high mountains of 

 Columbia and Peru, to which the generic name of Spathura has been given, but is much more Intimately 

 allied to the members of the genus Gouldia, which alliance is very clearly indicated by the band across the 

 back, and by the form and colouring of the females. The native countries of this singular little bird are 

 Cayenne, Guiana, and Demerara ; it also extends its range to the northern parts of Brazil, being found, 

 according to Mr. Reeves, in Bahia, Maranahao, and Para. 



On reference to the above list of synonyms, it will be seen that I have given the name of ligonkauda to a 

 bird belonging to this genus, being under the impression at the time that it was different, but I now believe 

 it to be merely a local variety of this species. 



Face and fore part of the neck green, which colour is continued on the chest, where the feathers become 

 larger, longer, or tuft-like and more luminous, and some of them edged with grey ; on the chin a small 

 black spot ; centre of the abdomen golden brown ; lower part of the abdomen and under tail-coverts huffy 

 brown ; flanks golden green ; wings purplish black ; back and upper tail-coverts green ; lower part of the 

 back crossed by a band of huffy white ; tail purplish brown, with a stripe of buff down the centre of each 

 feather ; the lateral feathers tapering and terminating in a large spatulate tip ; bill black. 



The female has the head greyish brown ; upper and under surface green ; across the lower part of the 

 back a band of huffy white ; upper tail-coverts black ; wings purplish brown ; tail grey, largely tipped with 

 purplish black ; a broad patch of black down the throat, bordered on each side by white. 



The figures are of the natural size. The plant is the Pitcairnia muscosa. 





