232 Genera of Hiiinming Birds. 



middle of the abdomen is more distinctly buff ; the under 

 tail -coverts are white with wider dusky shaft- stripes. 



Type in the British Museum. 



330. Heliangelus spfncei Bourcier, P.Z.S., 1847, P- 46- 



Mellisnga speucei, Gray, Gen. Birds, vol. i., p. 112. 



Diotima spejicei, Reich, Auzf. der Colib, 1853, P- 12. 



Spence's Suii Angel, Gould, M-^n. Troch., vol. iv., p. 244. 



r Hélliangèle de Spence, Muls., Hist. Nat. Ois. Mou., 1876, 

 t. iii.. p. 89. 



Habitat. — Venezuela. 



Male. — Spot on forehead metallic silvery-green. Head, 

 lores, and sides of neck very dark green, almost black in 

 certain lights. Upperside shining green, golden on upper- 

 tail-coverts. Median rectices bronzy-green, laterals bronzy- 

 brown, paler on outermost ones. Throat metallic amethystine- 

 red, bluish-purple on chin. A broad pure white band across the 

 breast. Lower part of breast, abdomen, and flanks shining 

 ofolden-ereen. rufous in the centre of abdomen. Undertail- 

 coverts eolden-orreen in centre, marg-med with s^ravish-white. 

 Wings purplish-brown. Bill black. 



Total length. 4^in. Wing, 2^in. Tail. ijin. Culmen, -^. 



Female. — Upperside golden-green. Median rectrices shin- 

 ingbronzv-green, laterals bronzy-brown . darker on internal webs 

 and near the tips. Tips of lateral and outermost ones grayish- 

 white. Lores, throat, and sides of neck very dark green 

 appearing brownish-black in certain lights. Upper part of 

 throat metallic violet-red. Under the black of the throat is a 

 wide band of pure white crossing the breast. Lower part of the 

 breast and flanks golden-green. Abdomen grayish buff. 

 Undertail-coverts pale green in centre, margined with 

 grayish-buff. Wings purplish-brown. Bill black. 



Total length, 4fin. Wing, 2f. Tail, i^. Culmen, — . 



I have a young male of this species exactly coloured as the 

 female, but the metallic part of the throat ends in a point, 

 reachinof the band across the chest. This band is buff as in 

 H. aynethysticollis. 



This rare species was dedicated by Bourcier to Mr. Spence, 

 the celebrated Enorlish Entomoloo[^ist. I have a fine series of 

 both sexes collected in Merida, Venezuela, by Mr. S. Briceno. 



