March i, 1891] 



THE HUMMING BIRD. 



i7 



iummtng $tri>. 



Notes on Rare Species of Humming Birds 

 and Descriptions of Several Supposed 

 New Species in Boucard's Museum. 

 By A. Boucard. 



Threnetes leucurus, L. 1766. 



Male. — Head, back, and tail coverts, golden-green ; 

 central rectrices, bronzy-green ; wings, purple ; chin 

 black bordered on each side with a buff line, exactly 

 of the same colour as the throat, which is reddish- 

 buff; lores nearly black, a black line crosses the 

 breast just under the buff of the throat : breast and 

 sides of the abdomen, bronze-green ; abdomen, grey- 

 ish-buff; under tail coverts, bronzy-green margined 

 with pale buff; tail, white, the two central feathers 

 tipped and bordered with blackish-purple ; upper 

 mandible, black ; lower mandible, flesh colour with 

 black tip. 



Total length, 4J inches; wings, 2^ inches; tail, 

 ijinches; bill, \\ inches. 



Habitat, French, Dutch, and British Guiana. 



Threnetes cervinicauda, Goui/d, 1854. 

 Male. — Differs from the preceding species by the 

 general colour of the upper surface, which is dark 

 bronzy-green, the lines bordering the chin, white ; the 

 abdomen, pale buff, and chiefly by the tail, which 

 is reddish-buff, the two central feathers tipped and 

 bordered externally with purple-black. 

 Length, the same as T. leucurus. 

 In a box sent from Bogota I was pleased to find a 

 very good series of this species, among which some 

 very adult males, with which I was able to ascertain 

 the distinction between this species and T. leucurus. 

 All the specimens received from Bogota are alike, 

 not one of them has the slightest sign of white on 

 the tail feathers. 



I think I have some females. It is very much 

 similar to the male, but lighter in colour ; the black 

 of the chin is not quite dark, the buff on the chest 

 is lighter ; the black band under it is golden, and all 

 the under surface is buff tinged with very few- bronzy 

 feathers on the sides ; the feathers of the tail, except- 

 ing the central rectrices, which are bronzy-green with 

 buff tips, are pale buff with black tips and black 

 borders internally, and more so externally. 



Threnetes fraseri, Gould, 1861. 

 Male. — Upper surface, including tail-coverts, 

 golden green, distinguishing the species from Ruckeri, 

 . which is metallic dark green, central rectrices bronzy 

 green with white tips ; wings blackish purple ; chin 

 black; throat and breast buff; abdomen reddish 

 grey ; under tail-coverts olive green, margined with 

 buff; In T. ruckeri they are green with a very slight 

 buff margin. Rectrices black, largely tipped with 

 white. In ruckeri they are shorter, wider, bluish 

 dark, and narrowly tipped with white ; upper man- 

 dible black ; lower mandible flesh colour. Total 



length, 4^ inches ; wings, 



2 2 



bill. 



This species is very rare, and inhabits Guatemala. 

 I consider it as valid. 



PtLETORNIS GOUNELLEI, N.SP. 



Male. — Head, dark brown ; back, bronze green ; 

 central rectrices, rather long, bronze green tipped 

 with white ; under surface throat and breast, pale 

 buff with black line in the middle of the chin ; 

 abdomen, grey ; flanks, rufous ; all the feathers of 

 the tail, bronze green, black and white in about the 

 same proportions ; wings, purple brown ; bill, black, 

 curved. Total length, 4J inches : wing, 2 inches ; 

 bill, 1 inch; tail, 2 inches. 



This pretty species resembles somewhat Phœtornis 

 pretrei, for which I took it at first ; but after a 

 careful examination, I saw it was quite distinct, and 

 it only resembles that species by the colouring and 

 the form of its tail, which also resembles that of 

 Phaetornis prelrei at first sight ; but they also differ 

 greatly, all of them being rounded. In fact a new 

 genus could be made with that bird, forming the 

 passage from Phmtornis to Pygmornis. 



I have a great pleasure in dedicating this fine 

 species to Monsieur Gounelle, of Paris, the well- 

 known collector of Hippoceptialus, who discovered it 

 in Brazilia in the year 1887. He only found this 

 unique specimen. Among others, he also collected 

 specimens of the true Thalurania erlphile and 

 tiulochans lactea. 



Ph^thornis COLUMBIANUS, N.SP. 



Head brownish black, tipped with buff; back 

 bronzy green, edged with buff ; upper tail coverts red- 

 buff ; line behind the eye and middle of chin white ; 

 sides of chin dark rufous, nearly black ; breast and 

 flanks buff, very accentuated on flanks ; abdomen 

 white; under tail-coverts, buff; rectrices bronze- 

 green at base, black under, tipped and bordered with 

 buff ; upper mandibles black ; lower mandibles flesh 

 colour to the middle, the rest black ; wings purplish 

 brown. 



Total length, 5f inches ; bill \\ ; wing 2-| ; tail 2-f. 



Habitat Columbia. 



This new species is allied to P. syrmatophorus and 

 finds its proper place between this species and P. auto- 

 philus. It came in the same lot of birds with 

 Threnetes cervinicauda. 



PH/ETHORNIS GUIANENSIS, N.SP. 



Upper surface, golden, with purple reflections, each 

 feather bordered with black ; wings, purple-brown ; 

 rectrices, black, tipped with white ; line behind the 

 eyes of chin and entire under surface, pale buff; lores, 

 black; centre of chin, white; under tail-coverts, whitish 

 grey, with the centre slightly buff; rectrices, bronze- 

 grey for thé two-thirds of its length, then purple-black, 

 edged with pale buff ; upper mandible, black ; lower 

 mandible, flesh colour, with black tip. 



Total length, 6-J- inches; wing, 2^ ; tail, 3 inches; 

 bill 4. 



Habitat Demerara. 



I have also one specimen of Trinidad exactly alike, 

 but a little smaller, and seems to be a male or a young 

 female. It must be placed near longirostris. 



