Ocean. In this sort of enclosure arises an elevated cone, from whence are emitted numerous jets of sul- 

 phurous acid, and from whence escapes, accompanied hy a slight noise, a watery vapour. In some of these 

 breathing-holes the sulphur is condensed into crystals ; and in many places the ground is covered with 

 pulverized pumice or black cinders, which renders one fearful of approaching them. The earth presents 

 crevices the depth of which the eye dares scarcely measure, and some of which must be at least 200 metres 

 deep ; they gather the rain and snow-waters, and become the beds of rivulets which flow westward. Tliese 

 ravines or quehrados, as the Indians call them, frequently obliged us to make lengthy detours, and to waste 

 a considerable amount of time. The sides of those of moderate depth were carpeted with verdure and 

 ornamented with various shrubs. Here it was that I had the pleasure of discovering the Trochilus Stanleyi, 

 a lovely species, which rifles flowers of the C/mguiragn imigyiis, a plant so named by the illustrious Humboldt, 

 of which it appears to be an ardent lover conjointly with T. pkhincha, with which species it is continually 

 at war. 



" I found that it would require a week completely to explore these wilds ; but how were we to 

 carry the necessary provisions ? and how could I hope for fine weather at such an elevation for an 

 entire week ? On the present occasion I had been favoured in this latter respect beyond my hopes ; to a 

 magnificent day succeeded a beautiful night, during which the moon, at its full, lent a fairy charm to the 

 scene. Wrapped in our ponchos, a kind of cloak of the country, we awaited the return of day ; recli- 

 ning upon stones and sheltered by a rock, in spite of the inconvenience of the position, we enjoyed the 

 pleasures of a deep sleep upon this menacing soil, which in a moment of caprice might launch us into 

 eternity. The next day unexpected troubles attended us ; in order to regain the rocks which formed the 

 barrier to the enclosure, we were obliged to pick our way along a sandy soil, in which we sank up to our 

 knees ; and in order to creep along this quicksand, which continually yielded to our feet, we had to support 

 ourselves by rocks, which as frequently broke away beneath our fingers. Arriving at last, after many long 

 and weary hours, on the highest elevation of this impracticable ground, ^ve found ourselves in the Paramos 

 mountains, used for the pasturage of cattle. Here the winds blew at once with such violence, and a blast 

 so keen, that I twice essayed to continue my route before I could muster courage so to do. We now took 

 again to our horses, with which we soon gained the woody slopes, clothed with various species of Datura, 

 and the rich plains which lead to the city. On re-entering Quito, all my troubles were forgotten, while 

 the pleasure of having made a new discovery remained impressed upon my memory, coupled with a vivid 

 recollection of the interesting scene in which it had occurred." 



Head, sides, and back of the neck and wing-coverts greenish bronze ; back and rump deep violet blue ; 

 wings purplish brown ; upper tail-coverts and tail dark bluish green ; down the centre of the throat is a 

 series of scale-like feathers, broad at the chin and gradually tapering to a point on the breast, the upper 

 part of which is of a brilliant metallic emerald green, which passes into the amethystine blue, tinged on the 

 margins with red of the lower portion ; under surface dark sooty-brown washed on the flanks with bronze ; 

 under tail-coverts of a greyish white, with a streak of steel-blue down the centre of each feather ; bill and 

 feet black. 



The female differs in having no trace of the brilliant gorget. 



The Plate represents two males and a female of the natural size on the Siphocampylus giganteus. 



