term Oreotrochilus. D’Orbigny introduced to u s the O. Estellee and O. Adeke; while in 1846 the fine 0 . Chimborazo
was brought to light through the researches o f M. Bourcier; in 1849 the same gentleman made us aware o f the
existence o f the little less beautiful O. Pichincha, and I, on my own part, had the pleasure o f making known the 0 .
melanogaster and 0 . leucopleurus. All these birds inhabit loftier elevations than any other genus o f Humming-Birds;
for they love to dwell in regions just beneath the line where the melting snows and the warmth o f the sun call forth
an alpine flora and a peculiar character o f insect life ; and I question if any other insessorial birds seek their food
at so great an elevation as the O. Chimborazo and O. Pichincha. As far as our present knowledge extends, no species
has been found to the northward o f Ecuador, while to the south they range along the high lands o f Peru and
Bolivia.
Genus O r e o t r o c h il u s , Gould.
(*0pos, mons, et rpoxtXos, trochilus; Mountain Humming-Bird.)
Generic characters.
Male.—Bill longer than the head, almost cylindrical, and slightly incurved ; wings rather long and powerful;
tail large, the feathers narrow and rigid; tarsi clothed; fe e t strong ; hind toe and nail about the same length as the
middle toe and n a il; throat luminous.
Female. Unadorned.
7 7 . O r e o t r o c h il u s Ch i m b o r a z o ......................................................................................................................................Vol. I I . P I . 6 8 .
Orotrochilus Chimborazo, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 15, note.
Habitat. Immediately below the snow-line round the cone o f the volcanic mountain Chimborazo.
Mr. Fraser, who killed many examples at Panza, at an altitude o f 14,000 feet, says, “ Irides h a z e l; bill, le^s
and feet black. To be seen occasionally on the Arbor Maria, but feeds generally on a red thistle. I t is common,
and by no means shy, and has rather a pretty song, oft repeated, and to be heard at a considerable distance. In
bad weather, when the wind is high, this bird is said to creep under and into the clumps o f Paja (a species
o f Stipa).”
7 8 . O r e o t r o c h il u s P i c h i n c h a . . . . . . . . . . . . V o l . H . P I . 6 9 .
Orotrochilus Pichinchae, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 15.
Habitat. The snow-line o f the volcanic mountains o f Pichincha and Cotopaxi in Ecuador.
IGuagua and Ruco Pichincha (14,000 feet alt.), many examples. The Pichincha Humming-Bird, like the
Chimborazo, is found only close under the line o f perpetual sn ow ; but this species, according to the present state
o f our knowledge, is more widely distributed than the latter, being found not only on Pichincha, but also on Anti-
sana and Cotopaxi. Upon my first visit to Guagua Pichincha these birds were feeding entirely on the ground,
hunting the little moss-covered clumps as fast as the snow melted. They are not uncommon in this locality, but
always met w ith singly. They are very restless, but n ot shy, seldom remaining on one clump more than a second,
then away to another, perhaps a yard distant. Sometimes they would take a rapid flight o f 40 or 50 yards. On
my second visit, the Chuquiragua ( Chuquiraga insignis, Humb.) being in flower, they were feeding from it like the
Quindi o f Chimborazo, but still occasionally hunted the mossy clumps. They flit with a burr o f the wings, and
occasionally settle, with the feathers all ruffled, on the top o f the Chuquiragua or other small plant. In this
respect, so far as my observations and those o f Professor Jameson go, they differ from O. Chimborazo.
“ June 5. No snow on the ground, and all birds were apparently scarce and shyer; these birds in particular
were chasing each other, in twos and threes, like flashes o f lightning.”—Fraser in Proc. o f Zool. Soc. part xxviii. p. 7 9 .
7 9 . O r e o t r o c h i l u s E s t e l l e e ..................................................................................................................................................................... j j p j 70
Orotrochilus Estellae, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 16.
Habitat. The high lands near La Paz in Bolivia.
8 0 . O r e o t r o c h il u s l e u c o p l e u r u s , G o u l d .............................................................................................................. j j p j 7 1
Orotrochilus leucopleurus, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 16.
“ Oreotrochilus leucopterus, Reichenb.”, Cab. et Hein.ib.
Trochilus Milleri, Lodd. M S .; Fraaer in Proc. o f Zool. Soc. part xi. p. 11 4 .
Habitat. The Chilian Andes.
“ This beautiful and rare species of Humming-Bird,” says Mr. Bridges, “ is only found in the elevated valleys
o f the Andes, residing amongst storms of hail, rain, and thunder, and in places where the naturalist would least
expect to find a species o f Trochilus. It subsists more upon small flies than upon the nectar of flowers. On
examination o f the crops I found them filled with flies, which they take before sun-down along the margin o f the
mountain rivulets. Specimens were taken at Los Ojos de Aqua, province of Aconcagua, at an elevation of from
6 0 0 0 to 8 0 0 0 feet, and I saw them at least 1 0 0 0 feet above that place. Iris brown.”—Proc. Zool. Soc. part xi. p. 1 1 4 .
Dr. Philippi met with this bird at Hueso Parado in Northern Chili, at an elevation of not more than 1 0 0 0 feet
above the. sea-level.
8 1 . O r e o t r o c h il u s m e l a n o g a s t e r , Gould . . . . . . . . . . Vol. II. PI. 7 2 .
Orotrochilus melanogaster, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 1 5 , note.
Habitat. The high lands o f Peru ; precise locality unknown.
8 2 . O r e o t r o c h il u s A d e l æ ...................................................................................................................................... Vol. II. P I. 7 3 .
Orotrochilus Adelae, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 1 5 , note.
Habitat. Bolivia ; the high lands around Chuquesaca being one of its localities.
I now proceed to the
Genus L a m p o r n i s , Swains.
This genus comprises many species, some of which inhabit the W est Indian Islands, and others the mainland.
The best-known among them, the Lampornis Mango, has a wider range than any o f the others, as will be seen on
reference to my account o f that species. They are all distinguished by the harmonious colours o f their ample tails,
which are even more beautiful in the females than in the males,
8 3 . L a m p o r n i s M a n g o ....................................................................................................................................... Vol. II. P I. 7 4 .
Trochilus punctatus, Vieill. Ency. Méth. Om. part ii. p. 5 5 0 (young).
— lazulus, Less. Traité d’Om. p. 2 9 0 .
Lampornis Mango, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 1 9 .
Habitat. The eastern part o f Brazil, Trinidad, Venezuela, and the high lands o f New Granada.
8 4 . L a m p o r n i s ir id e s c e n s , Gould.
This is the bird from Guayaquil which I have spoken o f in my account o f L. Mango as differing from the
Mangos of the other parts o f America. The chief differences are a rather shorter tail and a glittering wash of blue
and green on the throat, instead o f that part being velvety black ; there is also a greater amount o f green on the
flanks. Three specimens o f this bird were killed and sent to me by Professor Jameson during one o f his visits to
the coast.
Habitat. Guayaquil.
8 5 . L a m p o r n i s P r e v o s t i Vol. II. PI. 7 5 .
Habitat. Guatemala and Honduras.
8 6 . L a m p o r n i s V e r a g u e n s i s , G o u l d Vo 1 - n - P1- m
Anthracothorax Veraguensis, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 9 , pi. 7 9 3 . fig. 4 8 4 8 .
Lampornis Veraguensis, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 1 8 .
Habitat. Veragua and Costa Rica.
Mr. Bridges “ found this species in the outskirts o f the town o f David, feeding among the flowers o f a large
arborescent species o f Erythrina.”
Vol. II. Pl. 77.
8 7 . L a m p o r n i s g r a m in e u s
Anthracothorax dominicus, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 9 , pi. 7 9 2 . figs. 4 8 4 5 - 4 6 .
Lampornis gramínea, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 1 8 .
Habitat. Trinidad, Cayenne, and Guiana.
Vol. II. PI. 7 8 .
8 8 . L a m p o r n i s v i r i d i s . . . . . . ■ •
Chalybura viridis, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. p. 1 0 .
Agyrtria viridis, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 7 , pi. 7 6 5 , figs. 4 7 7 1 - 7 2 .
Habitat. Porto Rico.