LOPHORNIS HELENiE. 



Princess Helena's Coquette. 



Ornismya HelencE, De Latt. Rev. ZooL 1843, p. 133. 



Mellisuga HelerKE, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 113, Mellisuga, sp. 86 



Lophornis Jielenae^ Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 83, Lophornis^ sp. 4. 



helena, lb. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 257. 



Helenae^ Reichenb. Aufz. der Colibris, p. 12. 



It will be seen that the bird figured in the accompanying Plate exhibits many extraordinary and peculiar 

 features, — such a combination, in fact, as is not to be found in any other species ; it is, moreover, as beautiful 

 as it is outre^ and these circumstances, combined with its great rarity, render it a highly desirable species 

 to all collectors ; the small number of specimens, however, that have been transmitted to Europe, and the 

 high price they bear, have confined them to but few collections. 



The native country of the Lophornis Helence is " Vera Paz near Petinck in the Republic of Guatemala," 

 where I believe all the specimens that have yet been sent to Europe were obtained by M. De Lattre. Would 

 that that gentleman had, prior to his sudden and untimely death, given to the world some account of the 

 habits and manners of this curious bird, as well as of the many other interesting species which must have 

 come under his notice during his lengthened sojourn among the Andean Humming Birds ! 



The female is so extremely rare, that, so far as I am aware, only two examples have been sent to Europe ; 

 one of these is in the collection of Mr. Leadbeater, who kindly lent it to me to complete my illustration of 

 the species, and to whom I am also indebted for many other similar favours connected with my various 

 works. 



M. De Lattre named this species Helence, in honour of the Princesse Helene d'Orleans : " Cette noble 

 princesse, protectrice des arts, qu'elle encourage et qu'elle cultive avec tant de gout, et dont la grande 

 infortune rehausse le beau caractere. Puisse la Princesse Helene accueillir avec bonte cette hommage d'un 

 voyageur, heureux, dans les contrees lointaines, de conquerir cette rarissime espece pour lui donner le nom 

 d'une epouse et d'une mere si chere a la France ! " 



The male has the face and bifurcated crest green ; throat luminous golden green ; the luminous throat-mark 

 surrounded by a series of elongated feathers, those on the sides of the neck, which are the longest, being 

 buflf streaked with bluish black, while those of the centre are wholly black; from the occiput, on either side, 

 three very long, narrow, pointed and hair-like black feathers ; upper surface and wing-coverts coppery 

 bronze ; wings purplish brown ; rump deep bronzy brown, separated from the general hue of the upper 

 surface by a narrow band of white; tail deep rufous, the central feathers glossed with bronzy green, and 

 the remainder margined externally with dark brown ; chest golden bronze ; the remainder of the under 

 surface white, with a spot of golden bronze at the tip of each feather ; bill flesh-colour, darker at the point. 



The female has the head, upper surface, wing-coverts and abdomen bronzy green ; throat white, with a 

 spot of bronzy green at the tip of each feather; rump dark brown, crossed by a band of white ; tail buflf, 

 crossed by a dusky band near the tip. 



The figures on the accompanying Plate represent a male and a female of the natural size. 



