[A E T B O R H IS ZONURA
PHAETHORNIS ZONURA, Gotf.
Southern Hermit.
P h a e t io r n i s zo n u r a , Gould in Proc. o f Z ool. S o c ., part xxviii. p. 3 0 5 .
T h e group o f little Hermits to which Bonaparte applied the generic name o f Pygmornis appear to have
representatives in every part o f South America; at least species exist in all the hotter and temperate
portions o f that great country. One o f them, P . Adolphi, flies to the northward of the Isthmus o f Panama
and even enters the confínes o f Mexico ; some occur in New Granada and Ecuador; while others, again,
inhabit the Guianas, Cayenne, and Brazil. The bird to which 1 have given the name of P . zonura appears
to be the southern representative of the genus, since it is an inhabitant o f Peru, and, I believe, o f Bolivia;
for it was in one or other o f these countries that M. Warszewicz killed the specimen which graces my
collection. I have also a single, much-mutilated specimeu from Ecuador, which appears to belong to this
species. The P . zonura must rank among the larger and more powerful of these little birds; it is more
distinctly marked than any o f them and when its tail is outspread in flight, the rich rust colouring o f the
lower part o f the back must present a striking contrast to the deep-black colouring o f the tail-feathers.
This species is somewhat allied to the P . g riseo gu la ris; but its great size, and also the characters above
alluded to, will serve to distinguish it from that and every other species.
Crown of the head brown; back o f the neck, back, and shoulders bronzy green; rump and upper tail-
coverts rich reddish buff; all the under surface buff, palest on the throat; three outer tail-feathers on each
side black at the base, with rich buffy tip s; the fourth feather the same, except at the tip, where the outer
half is buff and the inner half white; the two central prolonged feathers black at the base, largely tipped
with white ; bill black, except the basal half o f the lower mandible, which is either yellow or flesh-colour;
feet yellow.
Total length 3 f inches; bill 1 ; wing I f ; tail I f.
The figures are o f the size o f life. The plant is the Pilumna jra g ra n s.