Genera of Hutnming Birds. 215 



rectrices shining gold, greenish at tips, next one on each side, 

 dark purple passing to brownish-black on the elongated parts, 

 the other three, including outermost one, reddish-buff. Throat 

 glittering metallic gold with topaz hue in the centre. Lower 

 part of throat, abdomen, and flanks metallic crimson. Wings 

 dark purple; inner primaries, excepting the tips and the 

 secondaries, cinnamon. Bill black. 



Total length, yfin. Wing, 3|. Tail, 3|^. Culmen, i. 



Female. — Upperside shininggreenwith bronze tinge. Upper- 

 tail-coverts shining green. Median rectrices dark greenish 

 bronze at base, passing to purplish-black at tips, the two next 

 purplish-black with buff tip on the last, the two outermost 

 ones purplish at base, rest buff. Underside shining green 

 with golden tinge. Centre of throat metallic-red. Wings 

 purplish-brown. Underwing-cov^erts chestnut. Bill black. 



Total length, 5fin. Wing, 2|-. Tail, 2. Culmen, i. 



This handsome species is not rare in Guiana. It frequents 

 the densest parts of the tropical forests, near the rivers. 



307. TOPAZA PYRA, G-^uld, P.Z.S., 1846, p. 85. 



Fiery Topaz, Gould, Mon. Troch., vol. ii., p. 67. 



le Colibri pyra, Muls., Hist. Nat. Ois. Mou., 1875, t. ii., 

 p. 128. 



Habitat. — Rio Negro, Upper Amazon. 



Male. — Head and neck velvety-black. Upperside including 

 upperwing-coverts glittering red, passing to orange-red on 

 rump. Uppertail and undertail-coverts, luminous golden-green. 

 Median rectrices bronze-green, darker at tips. Laterals, 

 including the elongated ones, deep purple. Throat brilliant 

 golden-green, bright orange-topaz in centre. A broad band 

 •of velvety-black on breast, and sides of neck encircling the 

 throat. Lower part of breast, abdomen, and flanks, metallic 

 fiery-red. U'nderwing-coverts, deep buff. Wings, bro-\ n 

 with a bronzy tinge. Bill black. 



Total length, yfin. Wing, 3!-. Tail, 4|-. Culmen, f 



Female. — Similar to that of T. pella ; but has the lateral 

 rectrices dark violet, the inner webs of the external feathers 

 rufous, and the medians, greenish-bronze at base, with tips 

 violet-black. 



This species is extremely rare. It was discovered by Mr. 

 Thirion, on the Upper Rio Negro. 



