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Mr. D. G. Elliot on the Trochilidse. 
XXXY.— Notes on the Trochilidae. The Genus Helianthea. 
By D. G. Elliot, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. 
The genus Helianthea is composed at the present time of eight 
species, two of which, however, should perhaps only rank as geo¬ 
graphical races. The members of the genus are, with one excep¬ 
tion, rather large birds, possessing long, straight, very acute 
bills, and constitute a well-defined group of the Trochilidse. 
From the great rarity of the majority of the species, they are 
not well known, hut few collections possessing specimens of 
more than three species; and at present no collection, except 
my own, that I am aware of, contains all the species known. 
All the males have a luminous mark upon the forehead, and 
also one upon the throat, these distinctive characters being 
less circumscribed in H. isaacsoni 3 which has the throat gene¬ 
rally luminous. 
The group may be divided into three sections as follows :— 
Rump and underpart exceedingly luminous. 
1. Tail steel-black, rump metallic green.. H. isaacsoni. 
2. Tail brownish black, rump metallic blue. II. typica. 
3. Tail green, rump metallic golden yellow. II bonapartii. 
4. Tail cinnamon tipped with green. H. eos. 
Rump not luminous , underparts slightly metallic. 
5. Tail greenish brown, yellow patch on secondaries.... II. lutetice. 
Underparts buff. 
6. Tail rufous, white band across breast. II. violifera. 
7. Tail bright buff tipped with green, breast green .... II. osculans. 
8. Tail with a broad terminal band of green . H. dichroura. 
All the species are natives of the Andes, dwelling for the 
chief part amid their loftier heights, on both sides of the 
equator. The locality of H. isaacsoni is unknown, the speci¬ 
men in my collection, and one in the museum at Liverpool, 
being all that have ever been procured. H. lutetice is a native 
of Ecuador, but is not found nearer Quito than the valleys of 
Lloa and Pelogalli. H. typica is a native of Columbia, very 
common about Bogota. H. eos is found in the vicinity of 
Merida, in Venezuela, which at present is its only known lo- 
