218 Walter Goodfellow—Some Reminiscences of a Collector


5 inches long, even more in the female, and longer than the bird’s body

and tail together. These feed on the trumpet-shaped flowers of various

kinds of datura and are met with at over 11,000 feet on both ranges

of the Andes. True, the very dull coloured Sickle-bills of the genus

Eutoxores are lowland, but as a set off in the mountains is the turned

up bill of Avocettula, also the White and Yellow Puff-legged Racquet

Tails, and the Thorn-bills in that lovely genus Rlnamplnomicron and

a host of others. One must not forget the largest of all the Hummers,

Patagonas gigas, a very dull-coloured bird as large as a swallow. Some

of these are resident all the year round in the Chillo Valley just below

Quito, and feed on the flowers of the aloe, also making their nests on

the branches of the giant flower stalk of that plant. In the summer this

bird is found as far south as Chile. Another remarkable form is the

Toothed bill (Androdon cequatorialis), also with an extra size in bills

curiously hooked at the tip, and serrated along the sides. This occurs

at about 5,000 feet and for a long time was very rare indeed until

rediscovered. I know of only two localities now where it is found.


From the lowlands of South America, perhaps, the species in the

genus Lophornis are the most eccentric with their crests and frills,

although not particularly bright they are very minute. Here to my

mind Topaza pyra and T . pella are the most striking-looking birds, and

have a wide range through Amazonas. They are large birds with the

whole body richly coloured more or less crimson, and throats that

are indescribable. Both species have two long central tail-feathers,,

curved slightly, and crossed over. In the temperate climate of Chile

there is a beautiful species, Eustaphanes galeritus. It has a marvellous,

cap like burnished copper, and a pretty spotted breast. It is all

around Valparaiso and feeds on the eucalyptus flowers when in season..

At Quilpue in mid-winter, when the ground was white with frost every

morning, they were about in the gardens as soon as the sun came up.

Another similar bird, but with a bright coffee-coloured breast, comes

from the little island of Juan Fernandez, celebrated as the home of

Alexander Selkirk, and the sinking of the Dresden.


Now Humming Birds have become popular with aviculturists, and

the Zoo has made such a beautiful display of them, it seems to me it

would be better to get some of these mountain species which would



