364 TEOCHTLID^. 



no trace of it at Chiriqui, the country of L. adordbilis, nor from Costa Rica, where 

 L. helence is found. 



L. delattrii has two near allies in L. regulus and L. stictolophus, but it differs from 

 both in its narrow crest-feathers, hardly any of which have a trace of a dark terminal 

 spot. 



2. Lophornis helenae. 



Ornismya helerue, Delattre, Echo du Monde Sav. 1843, p. 1068'; Rev. Zool. 1843, p. 133'. 

 Lophornis helerue, Gould, Mon. Troch. iii. t. 123 (Sept. 185.5) '; Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 130*; 



Salv. Ibis, I860, pp. 194', 196 ", 267'; Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xvi. p. 425 '; de Oca, La Nat. 



iii. p. 300, t. — °; Boucard, Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon, xxii. p. 15 ". 

 Paphosia helence, Boucard, P. Z. S. 1878, p. 70". 



Supra nifcenti-aureo-viridis, uropygio et tectricibus supracaudalibus rufo-purpurascentibus, fascia dorsali trans- 

 versa cervino-albida ; capite summo saturate viridi, plumis utrinque valde elongatis, longissimis angustis, 

 plerumque nigris ad apicem fiKformibus auricularibus nigris : subtus gula micanti-aureo-viridi, margine 

 8U0 distali rotundato et undique nigro marginato, plumis lateralibus elongatis nigro et cinnamomeo 

 intermixtis, peotore aureo-viridi, abdomine albo, plumis singulis macula magna aurea rotunda notatis ; 

 tectricibus subcaudalibus oinnamomeis medialiter aureo-viridi vix tinctis : Cauda cinnamomea, rectricibus 

 mediis viridibus ad apicem saturatioribus, reliquis viridi extrorsum limbatis : rostro cameo, apiee nigro. 

 Long, tota circa 3-0, alee 1-6, caudse 1-0, rostri a rictu 0"6. 

 5 supra nitenti-aureo-viridis ; capite summo fere unicolore, plumis elongatis nullis ; gutture albo, plumis 

 singulis macula diseali aureo-nigricante notatis ; cauda cinnamomea, fascia subterminali nigra, rectricibus 

 mediis quoque medialiter viridibus. (Descr. maris et feminse ex Coban, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 



Hab. Mexico, environs of Cordova, Santecomapam, Catemaco {£oucard^°), Chiapas 

 {de Oca^); Guatemala, "Petinck" C^Peten) {Delattre^^), Coban [Skinner \ 0. S. 

 & F. B. GJ); HoNDUKAS, San Pedro Sula {Wittkugel, in U. S. Nat. Mus.); Costa 

 EiCA, Turrialba [Arce ^, Boucard i^), Tucurriqui {Arce ^), San Carlos [Boucard ^^), 

 El Naranjo [Zeledon, in JJ. S. Nat. Mus.). 



The range of L(yphornis helence extends much further north than that of any other 

 species of the genus, and even reaches the middle of the State of Vera Cruz, where so 

 many purely neotropical birds find the northern limit of their distribution. 



It was not in Mexico, as it has been sometimes stated, that Delattre discovered this 

 bird, but in Vera Paz, the only Department of Guatemala where it is found. In the 

 month of November it is not uncommon near Coban, feeding from the flowers of the 

 Salvice, the favourite resort of so many species of Humming-Birds. The flight of 

 L. helence is very rapid, and hardly to be followed by the eye as it darts from flower to 

 flower. Its cry is peculiarly shrill and unlike that of any other Humming-Bird, so 

 that its presence in any place may at once be detected by a skilled ear. The females 

 are either very much rarer than the males, or, which is probably the case, less in 

 evidence. During a month spent at Coban only one female was secured to seventeen 

 males. 



M. Boucard observed this species during his residence in Mexico at several places 

 near the town of Cordova. The same traveller subsequently met with it in Costa Rica. 



