26 



THE HUMMING BIRD. 



[April i, 1 89 1 



them. It is in these damaged cases that I- found the 

 specimens of P. corruscans which are now in my pos- 

 session ; one of them has less pink than the other. 



It would be very interesting if the opinion of a 

 competent chemist could be obtained on this matter. 



Chrysolampis Moschitus, Linné, 1766. 



I have three varieties of this well known South 

 American species found abundantly in Trinidad, 

 Venezuela, Colombia, Guiana and Brazil. All of 

 them are adult males ; the first has a perfectly white 

 chin, the remainder of the throat being topaz as in 

 the specimens of the species ; the second has a topaz 

 breast lined on each side with a broad white margin 

 from the bill to the breast ; and the third has the 

 four external feathers of the tail on the left side all 

 white with rufous tips ; on the other side, the two 

 feathers next to central ones are white three-thirds of 

 their length with large rufous spot at tips, the third 

 and the two central feathers are totally rufous as in 

 the specimens of that species and the last is white 

 with rufous tip. 



The two first specimens are from Colombia, the 

 third from Brazil. This last one has also white 

 feathers on back and three feathers on each wing 

 white. 



Lepidolarynx mesoleucus, Tem. 



One adult male specimen agreeing exactly with the 

 description of this well known species ; but having a 

 very short bill, § inch, instead of \\ inches which is 

 the usual length for that species. 



It came from Brazil. 



Helianthea eos, Gould, 1848. . 



Mellisuga eos, Gray. 

 Hypochrysia eos, Reich,i853. 



Caeligenia eos, Muls. 



Male. — Forehead metallic dark green ; head, met- 

 allic green with the appearance of jet black ; back 

 shining green, golden on the • rump ; tail coverts 

 golden bronze ; the four central tail feathers, buff to 

 the half of their length, the remainder metallic 

 bronze, the others buff edged with bronze ; chin and 

 breast, shining dark green ; throat, metallic purple 

 blue ; abdomen and flanks, fiery metallic bronze ; 

 under tail-coverts and tail, buff, each feather edged 

 externally with a greenish bronze tip ; wing-coverts, 

 bronze, wings, purple ; secondaries buff ; bill black. 



Length, 5| ; wing, 4 ; tail, if bill if. 



Female. — Upper surface, metallic dark green, coppery 

 on the rump ; tail-coverts, bronze colour ; throat, buff; 

 chest, metallic green ; flanks and abdomen, bronze 

 colour, rufous in the centre. 



Habitat, Merida (Venezuela). 



I have received several specimens, both sexes of 

 of this magnificent species. 



Helianthea typica, Less, 1838. 



Male. — One specimen of that species all black, 

 having the gular spot and the tail coverts, metallic 

 silvery green. 



I found it in a large collection of Humming Birds 

 sçnl nom Bogota, 



BOURCIERIA WILSONI, DELATT & BOURCIER, 1 846. 



One specimen of this species, with the throat 

 metallic purple, intermixed with metallic green. 

 Habitat. Ecuador. 



Heliangelus henrici, n. sp. 



Male. — Forehead, luminous dark green ; upper sur- 

 face and tail coverts golden green ; medium rectrices, 

 bronzy-green as in H. Clarissœ, lateral ones, steel black 

 as in H. slrophianns ; wings, purplish brown ; chin 

 and lores, black ; throat, metallic violet with purple 

 reflections, beneath which is a narrow band of shining 

 grass green,succeeded by a wide white band crossing all 

 the chest; abdomen and flanks, shining grass green ; 

 under tail-coverts, golden grey edged with white ; bill 

 short as H. strophianus. 



Length, 4I ; wing, z\ ; tail, i| ; bill, -J-. 



Habitat, Ecuador. 



I have only one specimen of this fine species, which 

 was given to me by Mr. Henry Whitely, and I 

 have much pleasure in dedicating the same to 

 him. It must be placed between H. darissae and 

 H. slrophia?ms. 



Thalurania eriphile, Less. 



Male. — Head and throat, metallic emerald green, 

 with metallic blue patch on the head ; back of head, 

 upper surface upper and under tail-coverts, bronzy 

 green ; shoulders, breast and abdomen, metallic pur- 

 ple blue ; wing, purplish-brown ; tail, steel black : 

 bill, black. 



Length, 4-f- ; wing, i\; tail, 2 ; bill, 1. 



Habitat, Brasilia. 



The specimens in my collection were collected 

 by Mr. Gounelle. 



Thalurania verticeps Gould, 1851. 



This species which has been united by Mr Elliott 

 to the above species is quite distinct ; it is smaller 

 and the colour of the shoulders and abdomen is of a 

 very different metallic steel blue quite different of 

 the purple-blue of T. eriphile; the metallic emerald- 

 green of the throat extends- much more on the breast 

 than in T. eriphile ; the under tail-coverts are blue 

 edged with grey. In T. eriphile they are shining grey. 



I think that Mr. Elliott had not a true T. eriphile 

 in his collection when he united both species. In 

 my opinion it is a very good species. 



I have many specimens of T. verticeps collected 

 by Mr. Buckley and others. 



Thalurania colombica, Bourc and Muls. 



I have in my Collection one male specimen of this 

 species with tail and wing-coverts dark steel blue ; 

 forehead, silvery-purple ; back, grey with golden re- 

 flections ; throat, silvery-green ; breast and abdomen, 

 silvery-blue; flanks, grey; under tail-coverts, white 

 with steel blue tips ; wing, purple-brown ; feet, fleshy 

 colour ; bill, black. 



Length 3 f ; wing, 2 ; tail, if; bill f. 



Came in a lot of birds from Bogota and may be 

 another illustration of discolouring, produced by 

 dampness and zinc ; although the skin is in very 

 good condition. 



7o be continued. 



