OXYPOGON GUERINL 



Guerin's Helmet-crest. 



Ornismia Guerinii, Boiss. Rev. Zool. 1840^ p. 7- 

 Trochilus parvirostj^is^ Fras. Proc. of ZooL Soc, Part VIII. p. 18. 

 Ornismya Guerinii^ Lodd, in Proc. of Zool. Soc^ Part XL p. 122. 

 Oooypogon Guerinii, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, Part XVI. p. 14. 

 Mellisuga Giierifiii, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, Mellisuga^ sp. 30. 

 Warrior, of the dealers in specimens of natural history. 



This fine species of Humming Bird is a native of the higher regions of the Columbian Andes, where, 

 judging from the abundance in all the collections of specimens that are sent from Bogota, it must be 

 very common : although it is not adorned, like many of the Humming Birds, with bright metallic colours, 

 the beautiful lengthened crest and throat feathers render it a showy and conspicuous species. Dissection 

 alone can determine whether the crestless birds represented in the Plate are adult females or youthful birds; 

 I think it likely that they will prove to be the latter. The middle figure on the upper part of the Plate 

 represents I believe a young male of the year, but I should not be surprised if we hereafter learn that fully 

 adult females possess a similar style of plumage ; in all probability, however, the black feathers of the crest 

 are always wanting in that sex. 



The adult male may be thus described : — Head and chest brownish black, with a narrow line of white 

 down the centre, joined on the forehead to two narrow lines of white, which proceed thence along either 

 side of the base of the bill; on the centre of the throat is a similar lengthened tuft of white feathers, down 

 the middle of which is a line of rich shining green ; black of the head bounded on the sides and in front by 

 a broad mark of huffy wdute ; upper surface, wing-coverts and two central tail-feathers bronzy green, the 

 latter with the basal two-thirds of their shafts white ; lateral tail-feathers coppery bronze, with a stripe of 

 white down the centre, which increases in extent as the feathers recede from the centre, until on the outer 

 feather it becomes of a broad spatulate and incurved form ; wings purplish brown ; under surface light 

 olive-brown, with bronzy reflexions on the flanks ; under tail-coverts light olive-brown ; bill and feet 

 blackish brown. 



Total length, A.\ inches ; bill, i; wing, 2|-; tail, 2| ; tarsus, \. 



The birds which I consider to be females resemble the male in colour, but are altogether less brilliant, 

 are much smaller in size, have the throat and crest feathers much less developed, and moreover have no 

 black feathers in the crest. 



Total length, 4 inches ; bill, \ ; wing, 2f ; tail, 2i, tarsus, t- 



The young are similar, but smaller and less brilliant ; they are also entirely devoid of the lengthened 

 feathers of the head and throat, and have on the sides of the throat numerous spots of olive-brown, which 

 nearly meet in the centre. 



The figures are of the natural size ; the two in the fore-ground engaged in one of those conflicts which 

 so frequently occur with all the species of this family. 



