Genus C a l l i p h l o x , B o ie .
Perhaps the very commonest o f the frill-necked Humming-Birds is the C. amethystina. I t is more widely
spread than many other species, since it inhabits all the countries from Brazil to Venezuela.
In this genus I have also placed the C. Mitchelli; but I have some doubt as to the propriety o f so doing. The
throats of the two birds, although beautifully coloured, are not luminous.
178. Ca l l i p h l o x a m e t h y s t i n a ...............................................................................................................................Vol. III. PI. 159.
Trochilus brevicaudus, Spix, Av. Bras. tom. i. p. 79, tab.
■------------orthurus, Jard. Nat. Lib. Humming-Birds, vol. ii. p. 60, pi. 8 ?
Cynanthus amethystinus, Id. ib. vol. ii. p. 143.
? orthura, Id. ib. vol. ii. p. 143 ?
Habitat. Brazil, Demerara, Cayenne, and Trinidad.
Whether the Omismya orthura o f Lesson be a species or an old female o f C. amethystina requires further investigation.
Wherever the C. amethystina is found in Brazil, Trinidad, or Demerara, the 0 . orthura is found in its
company—a fact which militates against its being a distinct species.
179. Ca l l i p h l o x a m e t h y s t o id e s , Less.
Trochilus amethystoides, Jard. Nat. Lib. Humming-Birds, vol. ii. pi 62.
Cynanthus amethystoides, Id. ib. vol. ii. p. 143.
Calliphlox amethystoides, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. p. 84.
Habitat. Minas Geraes in Brazil.
In my account o f C. amethystina I have regarded this species as identical with that b ird ; but M. Bourcier is
still o f opinion that it is distinct; and as I find that it is o f smaller size, and the tint o f the gorget is somewhat
different, I defer to his opinion. It will not, however, be necessary to give a separate figure o f it. Specimens from
Minas Geraes are certainly more diminutive than from elsewhere.
180. Ca l l i p h l o x ? M it c h e l l i . . . . . . . . . . . . Vol. III. PI. 160.
Habitat. Southern parts o f New Granada and Ecuador.
I have now gone through the species o f Humming-Birds distinguished for their diminutive size, the delicacy of
their structure, and for their luminous gorgets. I t is true that many other groups have their throats similarly
adorned, such as the members o f the genera Oreotrochilus, Heliangelus, &c . ; but these birds are all o f large size and
o f very different form, and as we proceed I think it will be seen that they are better placed hereafter. I proceed
next, then, with the racket-tailed species—the Spathura, &c. I admit that there is no direct alliance between
these and the former; but it will be recollected that I have stated that the Humming-Birds cannot be arranged in
anything like a series o f affinities. Here, then, we commence with a very different g roup; remarkable for the
peculiar character o f the tail in most o f its members. Among these I place in the foremost rank the extraordinary
bird bearing the specific name mirabilis. As any description, however accurate, must fail to give a correct idea of
this singular species, 1 must refer my readers to the Plate, upon which it is correctly depicted.
Genus L o d d ig e s ia , Gould.
| Loddiges, nom. prop.)
Male.—B ill straight and longer than the h ead ; wings diminutive; primaries rounded at the t ip ; outer tail-
feather on each side very much prolonged, and terminating in a large spatule.
Female.—Unknown.
181. L o d d ig e s ia m ir a b i l i s , Gould . . . . . . . . . . . Vol. III. PI. 161.
Habitat. Chachapoyas in Peru.
The racket-tailed birds I have figured under the generic name o f Spathura are spread over the temperate
regions o f the great Andean range o f mountains from the northern parts o f N ew Granada to Bolivia. Much confusion
prevails with respect to the generic appellation o f these birds. The case stands thus : in 1846 I proposed
the term Ocreatus, and in 1850 substituted that o f Spathura-, while in 1849 Dr. Reichenbach employed that of
Steganurus, which he changed in 1853 to Steganura. In the body o f this work all the species are ari f.nged under
my own generic name, which I hope may be allowed to stand.
Genus S p a t h u r a , Gould.
(Sirádr), spatha, et ovpa, cauda.)
Generic characters.
Male.—Bill straight and rather longer than the head; wings moderately long and somewhat rounded; tail
deeply forked; the outer tail-feather on each side terminating in a spatule; fe et small; tarsi thickly clothed; hind
toe and nail shorter than the middle toe and n ail; throat luminous.
Female.—Unadorned and destitute of spatules.
182. S p a t h u r a U n d e r w o o d i ...................................................................................................................... Vol. III. PI. 162.
Omismya Kieheri, Less. Les Troch. p. 165, pi. 65, female.
Cynanthus Underwoodi, Jard. Nat. Lib. Humming-Birds, vol. ii.p. 144.
------------Kienerii, Id. ib. p. 146.
Steganura spatuligera, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. pp. 8 & 24; Id. Troch. Enum. p. 5, pi. 708. figs. 4598-4600.
------------Underwoodi, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 66.
Steganura remigera, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. pp. 8 ,2 4 ; Id. Troch. Enum. p. 5, pi. 708. figs. 4601-2,
Steganurus remigera, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 67.
Habitat. The neighbourhood o f Bogota, on the Andes, and the hilly portion of eastern Venezuela.
In his ‘ Trochilinarum Enumeratio’ Dr. Reichenbach has figured a white-booted Racket-tail under the name
o f Steganura remigera, which, after a careful examination o f the type specimen, I have no doubt is identical with this
species, I have therefore placed that name among its synonyms.
183. S p a t h u r a m e l a n a n t h e r a , Jard Vol. III. PI. 163.
Habitat. Ecuador.
Mr. Fraser, who procured specimens of S . melananthera at Pallatanga and Nanegal in Ecuador, states that its
feet are “ white.”
184. S p a t h u r a P e r u a n a , G o u l d ...............................................................................................................Vol. III. PI. 164.
Habitat. Moyobamba in Peru.
185. S p a t h u r a r u f o c a l ig a t a , G o u l d .....................................................................................................Vol. III. PI. 165.
Habitat. La Paz in Bolivia.
The Trochilus Adda o f M. Bourcier is considered to be identical either with the S. Peruana or the present bird;
in all probability it was applied to the latter; and if this should prove to be the case, the term Adda, having been
proposed prior to that o f rufocaligata, should be adopted for this species.
186. S p a t h u r a c i s s iu r a , Gould . . . • • • .........................................
Habitat. Peru.
Perhaps the next in affinity, although not directly allied, are the members o f the genus Lesbia, which are
equally confined to the Andes, and fly at the same elevation as the Spathura. Like those birds, they are distributed
along that great chain o f mountains, throughout many degrees of latitude on each side of the equator. They may
be regarded as among the most elegant o f the Trochilidie. Their long and deeply cleft tails would seem to indicate
that they possess very great powers o f aerial p rogre ssion,-a remark which equally applies to the members of the
genera Cynanthus and Cometes.
Genus L e s b ia , Less.
• HI .V - • > . Vol. III. PI. 167.
187. L e s b i a G o u l d i ....................................................................................................
Agaclyta Gouldi, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 70.
Habitat. The high lands o f New Granada, particularly the neighbourhood of Bogota.
188. L e s b ia g r a c il i s , G o u l d ................................................... . . ■
Habitat. Ecuador.
189. L e s b ia N u n a .......................................................................................................
Habitat. Peru.
Refer to my remarks respecting this bird in the letter-press accompanyir
190. L e s b ia A m a r y l l i s ....................................................
Trochilus Victoria, Bourc. Rev. Zool. 1846, p. 315, pi. 4.
Vol. III. PI. 168.
Vol. III. PI. 169.
Vol. III. PI. 170.