162 
the structure of the skin will become a subject of great physiological 
interest. 
3. On six new species of Humming Birds. 
By John Gould, F.R.S. etc. 
Although the Trochilidse have lately received much attention both 
from our own and the continental naturalists, the subject is far from 
exhausted, as is shown by the circumstance of my being able to bring 
before the notice of the Society this evening no less than six species 
hitherto uncharacterized and unknown. These great accessions to the 
family are all from a state with which we have as yet had but little in¬ 
tercourse—that of Yeragua in Central America ; and we are indebted 
for a knowledge of them to the researches of an enterprising traveller 
and botanist, M. Warzewicz, who has just returned from that coun¬ 
try, where he successfully explored many forests and other districts 
not previously trodden by the foot of civilized man. Unfortunately, 
both for myself and for science, he was not able, in consequence of the 
heavy rains which prevailed at the time, to procure or to preserve the 
examples in so fine a state as could be wished; although much muti¬ 
lated and otherwise damaged, they are, however, sufficiently perfect 
to admit of my furnishing the following descriptions :— 
1. Trochilus (Selosphorus) scintilla. 
Male : upper surface bronzy green ; on the throat a gorget of glit¬ 
tering fiery red, the feathers of which are much produced on either 
side ; beneath the gorget a band of bufiy white ; wings purple-brown ; 
central tail-feathers brownish black, margined with rusty red; lateral 
tail-feathers brownish black on their outer and rusty red on their 
inner webs ; under surface reddish brown ; bill black. 
Female: upper surface as in the male, but not so bright; under 
surface white; throat-feathers less produced, and spotted with brown 
on a white ground; flanks buff; tail rufous, crossed by a crescentic 
bar of black near the tip. 
Total length of the male, 2f- inches ; bill, \ ; wing, 1^; tail, 1. 
Hub . Volcano of Chiriqui, at an altitude of 9000 feet. 
This is an extremely beautiful species, and forms a miniature re¬ 
presentative of the Trochilus rufus, to which it is somewhat allied. 
2. Trochilus (Thaumatias ?) chionura. 
Male: upper surface very dark grass-green; wings purplish 
brown ; central tail-feathers bronzy green ; lateral tail-feathers white, 
largely tipped with black ; throat pale shining green; flanks green¬ 
ish ; centre of the abdomen and under tail-coverts white; upper 
mandible black, base of the lower mandible fleshy white. 
Female: upper surface as in the male, but paler; lateral tail-fea¬ 
thers white, as in the male, but crossed near the extremity with an 
oblique band, instead of being tipped with black; throat and under 
surface generally white. 
Total length, 3^ inches; bill, J-; wing, 2-|-; tail, 1^. 
