J GmJdaruW.CRichier, id . cc TOh. THALURANIA YEITIISTA, Umli.
THALURANIA YENUSTA, Gould.
Veraguan Wood-Nymph.
Trochilus (Thalurania) venusta, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xviii. p. 163.
------------) puella, Gould MSS. 1853.
Thalurania venusta, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xx. p. 9.—Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de Zool.
1854, p. 254.—Reichenb. Aufz. der Colibris, p. 7.
— puella, Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p.254.—Reichenb. Aufz. der Colibris, p.7.
T h e discovery of this new species by the celebrated traveller Warszewicz near the volcano of Chiriqui
in Veragua is of twofold interest; first, as adding an additional species to the well-defined genus Tlalu-
rania, and, secondly, as affording still further evidence that most of the forms at one time considered to
be peculiar to the continent of South America proper, have their representatives in the countries lying to
the northward at the Isthmus of Panama, geuerally known as Central America. Besides the specimens
procured hy M. Warszewicz, I have received others from the same district through M. Verreaux; these
latter, although sufficiently perfect for the purpose of figuring, were not in very good condition. M. Warszewicz
descrihes the living bird to be an object of the greatest beauty, and one can readily believe the
truth of his assertion, as, unlike every other member of the genus, not only is the crown, but the greater
part of the back of the neck, the entire mantle and the shoulders are clothed in a rich livery of purplish
blue ; in size it is about the same as T. furcata, but its rich bluish-black tail is still more deeply forked.
No one member of the genus is more scarce in our collections than the T. venusta; it is to be hoped tbere-
fore that explorers will at no distant date procure us a further supply of this lovely species.
By some accident the name of puella, which I originally intended to apply to this species, but for which I
suhstituted that of venusta, has found its way into Dr. Reichenbach’s and other lists of the Trochilidse, which
I regret, as it tends to produce confusion; I therefore take this opportunity of saying that the two names
are synonymous, and that the one here retained—venusta—is the one to be adopted.
The entire crown, hack of the neck and upper part of the back, shoulders, abdomen and under tail-
coverts beautiful shining ultramarine blue; throat and fore part of the neck rich metallic green; wings
purplish black ; tail blackish blue ; bill black.
The figures are of the natural size. The plant is the Odontoglossum hastïlabrum.