AVOCETTULA RECURVIROSTRIS. 



Fiery-tailed Avocet. 



TrochUns recurvirosfris, Swains. Zool. lU., vol. ii. pi. 105.— Jard. Nat. Lib. Humming Birds, 



vol. i. p. 80. pi. 3. 

 Mellisuga? recurvirostris, Stepli. Cont. of Shaw's Gen. Zool., vol. xiv. p. 248. 

 Ornmnya recurvirostris, Less. Hist. Nat. des Ois. Mou., p. 129. pi. 37.— lb. Supp., p. 166. ^\. 34. 



—lb. Traits d'Orn., p. 284. 

 Campylopterus recurvirostris, Swains. Class, of Birds, vol. ii. p. 330. 



mjloclmris recurvirostris, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 114, Hylocharis, sp. 11. 

 Curve-hilled Humming Bird, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 358. 

 Avocettinus recurvirostris, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 75, Avocettinus, sp. 1. 

 Avocettula recurvirostris, Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 256.— Reichenb. Aufz. der 



Colibris, p. 6.— lb. Troch. enumer., p. 3. pi. dclxxix. figs. 4485-4489. 

 Ornismya avocetta. Less. Supp. Hist. Nat. des Ois. Mou., p. 145. pi. 24. — lb. Les Troch., 



p. 74. pi. 23. — Jard. Nat. Lib. Humming Birds, vol. i. p. 78. pi. 2. 

 Avocettinus lessoni, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 75, Avocettinus, sp. 2. 



The earliest record of the existence of this interesting bird will be found in the second vokime of 

 Swainson's " Zoological Ilkistrations," where a unique specimen, purchased by him at the sale of Bullock's 

 celebrated Collection, is figured and described. He states that Bullock had received it from Peru ; 1)ut all 

 the specimens that have come under my notice have been collected in Cayenne and Demerara, and these, 

 with the immediately adjoining countries, constitute, I believe, its true habitat : this may not, however, be 

 the limit of its range, and it is possible that it may visit the distant country of Peru, but I think it very 

 unlikely that it does, and apprehend that Bullock must have been misinformed as to the locahty in which his 

 specimens were procured. In the absence of any positive information respecting the habits and economy of 

 this species, or the peculiar adaptation of its singularly-formed bill, Swainson has ventured upon the follow- 

 ing hypothesis, which I repeat, without being able to verify or deny it in any particular: — 



" The extraordinary formation in the bill of this beautiful little creature is without parallel in any land- 

 bird yet discovered, and presents in miniature a striking resemblance to that of the Avoset. It is almost 

 impossible to conjecture rightly the use of this singular formation ; but it appears to me not very improbable, 

 that the principal sustenance of the bird may be drawn from the pendent Bignonice, and other similar 

 plants, so common in South America, whose coroUae are long, and generally bent in their tube : the nectar 

 being at the bottom, could not be readily reached either by a straight or incurved bill, though very easily by 

 one corresponding to the shape of the flower." 



At least three very distinct states of plumage characterize this species. In the fully adult, the o-reen 

 breast and the fiery under surface of the outer tail-feathers are the conspicuous features. In younoer 

 males, even after the bird has acquired the green on the throat, the tail is greenish or purplish black, with 

 the three outer feathers tipped with white. In the females or young of the year (it is uncertain which), 

 the throat and centre of the abdomen are black, bounded on either side by a streak of white ; in this state, 

 too, the outer tail-feathers are tipped with white. 



I may remark that the Avocettula recurvirostris is by no means a common bird in the collections of Europe, 



