PH A E TJffOJRSTS STRir&ITLAlRJS, &mld'
PHAETHORNIS STRIIGULARI S, Gould.
Stripe-throated Hermit.
P h a e th o r n i s s t r iig u la r i s , Gould iu Proc. o f Z o o l. Soc. p.
I n a large collection of bird-skins sent to this country from Bogota in 1852, I discovered three specimens
o f this new and well-marked species o f Ph a etho rn is; these are all I have ever seen, and as I have not been
able to obtain any information respecting the bird from collectors, we may reasonably infer that some
new district had been visited by the Indians, who procure and skin birds for sale in Bogota, and that by this
means we have been made acquainted with a species, the history o f which we have yet to learn.
In size the stripe-throated Hermit exceeds the P . griseigularis, and is at once distinguished from that and
all the other small species o f the genus by its striated grey throat, and by the breadth o f the tips of the
middle tail-feathers.
I have but little doubt that o f the three specimens from Bogota, two are males, as, although similar in
colour, they somewhat exceed the third in size ; the latter is probably a female.
The beautiful plant figured with the birds, was sent to me by Professor Jameson o f Quito, who states
that it is “ a species o f Thibaudia, or some nearly allied genus, which grows wild on the western declivity of
the Andes, at an elevation o f between 5000 and 7000 feet. The flowers of this beautiful shrub attract
several species o f the Trochilidce, particularly the Pha'ethorni.”
Upper surface dark bronzy brown, becoming darker brown on the head, and reddish brown on the rump
and upper tail-coverts ; wings purple-brown; tail-feathers greenish bronze, the two central ones fading into
greyish white; the next on each side fringed on the tip o f the outer web with greyish white, the remainder
fringed at the extremity o f the outer web with buff, and white at the tip ;' above and behind the eye
a streak of buff; throat and chest grey, the former striated with obscure markings o f brownish black down
the centre; ear-coverts black; abdomen reddish buff; under tail-coverts grey tinged with buff; upper
mandible and apical half of the lower mandible black ; basal half o f the latter yellow.
The figures are o f the natural size.