PHAËTHORNIS SUPERCILIOSUS.
Cayenne Hermit.
T ro ch ïlu s su p e rc ilio su s, Linn. Syst. N a t., tom. i. p. 1 8 9 .— lb . Gmel. Ed it., tom. i. p. 4 8 5 .__
Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p . 2 8 4 .— Vieill. E n cy . Méth. Om., part ii. p. 5 4 9 .
pl. 1 2 9 . fig . 2 .— Dumont, D ie t. Sci. N a t., tom. x. p. 4 6 .— Drapiez, D ie t. Class.
d’H ist. N a t., tom. iv. p. 3 1 7 .— Less. H ist. Na t. des Col., p. 3 5 . pl. 6 .— Ib. Ind.
Gen. e t Syn. des Ois. du Gen. T ro ch ilu s, p. xiv.— Ib. Traité d’O m., p. 2 8 8 .—
Jard. N a t. L ib ., Humming-birds, vol. ii. p. 1 1 9 . pis. 2 6 , 2 7 .— Stepli. Cont. o f
Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xiv. p. 2 4 1 .— Prince Max. B e it. zur Naturg. von Bras.,
p , 1 1 6 .
P o ly tm u s C a y en n en sis lo n g ic a u d u s, Briss. Orn., torn. iii. p. 6 8 6 . pl. xxxv. fig. 5.
L e B r in b la n c , Buff. H ist. Na t. des Ois., tom. vi. p. 4 6 .— Vieill. Ois. Dor., pp. 3 7 , 3 8 , 3 9 .
p is. 1 7 , 1 8 , 1 9 .
C o lib ri à lo n g u e qu eu e d e C a y en n e , Buff. P l. En l. 6 0 0 . fig. 3.
P lu e to rn is su p e rc ilio su s, Gray and Mitch. Gen. o f B irds, vol. i. p. 1 0 4 , P hoe to rn is, sp. 1.— Bonap.
Rev . e t Mag. de Zool. 1 8 5 4 , p. 2 4 9 .
P h a ë to rn is su p e r c ilio su s , Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 6 7 , P h a ë to rn is , sp. 1.
P h a ë th o rn is su p e rc ilio su s, Reichenb. Aufz. der Colibris, p. 14.
S up e i'c iliou s H um m in g -b ird , Lath. Gen. S yn ., vo l. ii. p. 7 4 7 .— Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii.
p . 2 3 4 .— La th. Gen. H is t., vol. iv. p. 2 9 3 .
L e s s o n has given a tolerably good figure of this species in the fourth plate o f his “ Histoire Naturelle des
Colibris,” while the figure in the next plate, which he states to be the female, has reference not only to
another species, but to one pertaining to a distinct form, to which the generic appellation of Glaucis has been
given: it represents, in fact, either the young o f G. hirsutus or G. Mazeppa, as is shown by the concentric
marks on the back, and the pointed white tips o f the tail-feathers. It is surprising that Lesson should
have thus erred, for had he studied the members o f the genus Phaethornis even but superficially, he must
have observed that no difference occurs in the colouring o f the sexes, and that the young assume the livery
and the same form o f tail as the adults from the earliest age.
The Phaethornis superciliosus appears to have been known to Linnaeus and most o f the older writers. It
is one o f the commonest species o f the genus, examples having been sent to Europe for at least the last
hundred years. Its native countries are Guiana, Cayenne, and Surinam; its range is known to extend
towards Brazil as far as the confluence o f the Amazon, but, I believe, does not advance farther south than
Bahia, which Mr. Reeves informs me is one o f the provinces in which it is found. It is believed that the
sexes differ little in colour, but that in size the female is a trifle smaller than her mate.
The term superciliosus applied to this species is by no means an appropriate or distinctive appellation, all
the species o f the genus being similarly marked; but a name once applied cannot be changed.
Head, upper surface and wing-coverts bronzy brown, darkest on the head; lores and ear-coverts blackish
brown, bounded above and below by stripes o f buff; wings dark purplish brown; rump and upper tail-coverts
barred with bronze and brown ; lateral tail-feathers bronzy green at the base, the apical portion blackish
brown, with an arrow-head-shaped mark o f buff at the tip; two centre tail-feathers bronzy green at the base,
blackish brown for the second third of their length, the prolonged or apical third white, gradually blending
with the dark hue o f the middle portion; under surface dusky fawn-colour, clouded with dark brown
approaching to black on the throat; under tail-coverts buff; upper mandible black; the basal three-fourths
o f the under mandible fleshy red, the tip black.
The figures are o f the size o f life. The plant is the Astrocaryum rostratum.