GOULDIA LMTITIM. 



Letitia. 



Trochilus Letitia, Bourc. Ann. de la Soc. Sci. de Lyon, May 7, 1852. 

 Gouldia IcetiticB, Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 257. 

 Laetitia, Reiclienb. Aufz. der Colibris, p. 12. 



Here again I am indebted to M. Boiireier, this gentleman having kindly lent me his miique specimen of 

 this, the fourth species of the genus Gouldia, and one of the most interesting of the TrocMMce. I regret to 

 say, that the female is at present unknown ; in the absence, then, of that sex, I have figured the male in 

 two positions on the accompanying Plate. It will scarcely be necessary to point out the distinguishing 

 characters of this species, as, by even the most cursory glance at the figures given of this and the other mem- 

 bers of the genus, they will at once be seen ; I may state, however, that they consist in the brilliant colouring, 

 not only of the face alone, but of the entire head, in the smaller size of the tail, and in the pointed form 

 of the outer feathers of that organ. The white mark on the rump is common to all the members of the 

 genus. 



MM. Bourcier and Mulsant, who first described the species, state that it is a native of Bolivia, and that 

 they have dedicated it " a la jeune enfant de W^\ la Marquise Delgallo, fille de I'un des Ornithologistes 

 les plus celebres de I'Europe, M. le Prince Charles Bonaparte." 



Head, face, throat and breast glittering green, tinged with a golden hue on the crown, and at the sides 

 of the neck and lower part of the breast; upper surface golden brown, changing to coppery brown on the 

 rump, across which is the usual band of white ; first row of upper tail-coverts violet-red, the remainder 

 golden green ; wings purplish brown ; tail bluish black ; flanks golden ; abdomen green, ornamented on the 

 upper part with a patch of white feathers bordered with green ; vent grey ; under tail-coverts dark golden 

 green, bordered with violaceous black, and narrowly fringed with fulvous ; bill brown. 



The figures are of the natural size. 



