LOPHORNIS GOULDI.
Gould’s Coquette.
Ornixmga Gouldii, Less. Hist. Nat. des Troch., p. 103. pi. 36.
Trochilus Gouldii, Jard. Nat. Lib. Humming Birds, vol. ii. p. 75. pi. 12.
LopJiornis Gouldii, Less., Jard. Gen. et Syn. des Ois. du Genre Trochilus, p. xli.
Mellisuga Gouldi, Gray and Mitch. Gen. o f Birds, vol. i. p. 113, Mellisuga, sp. 87.
Lophoi'nis gouldi, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 83, Lophornis, sp. 5.— lb. Rev. et Mag. de Zool.
1854, p. 257.
Bellatrix Gouldii, Reichenb. Aufz. der Colibris, p. 12.
I f , in the course of my ornithological labours, I have seldom named new birds after individuals, it is not
that I think there are not many living naturalists worthy of such an honour, but because I consider the
practice an objectionable one; my opinion being that specific appellations should always express some
peculiarity pertaining to the species to which they are applied : entertaining then this view of the subject,
I must say, that, although fully sensible of the compliment paid me by M. Lesson, in naming the present
bird after myself, I should have been better pleased if some more appropriate appellation had been given to
such a beautiful species ; a species, moreover, which is so rare in the collections of Europe, that few of them
contain examples. The first specimen known,—that from which M. Lesson took his description,—forms part
of Mr. Leadbeater’s collection; another single example, gracing that of Mr. Loddiges, was brought to this
country by the celebrated traveller Burcliell. Those in my own collection were obtained by the indefatigable
collector, Mr. Hauxwell, who shot four or five males and two females near the city of Para; these, with
two or three more from the Upper Amazon, deposited in other collections, are nearly if not all that are
known. It is evidently a continental species,—that is, it is never found, like its near ally the L. ornatus,
in Trinidad or any other of the West Indian Islands. North Brazil and the banks of the Amazon, from the
embouchure of that mighty river to its upper ramifications in Peru, are, I believe, its true habitat; and its
rarity with us is doubtless due to the infrequency with which those remote districts are visited by travellers
and collectors, for there seems to be no reason for supposing that in its own particular province it is less
numerous than its congeners. In size and structure it very closely assimilates to L. ornatus, but the neck-
plumes, which in that species are light chestnut-red, are always pure white, and have the terminal spangles
broader and rounder; it is also more delicate in form, a feature observable in both sexes. Of its habits
and manners nothing is known.
The male has the head and crest rich cliestnut-red; upper surface and wing-coverts bronzy-green; wings
dark purplish-brown; across the lower part of the back a band of white; rump chestnut-brown; upper
tail-coverts bronzy-green; tail dark chestnut-red, the two central feathers bronzy-green on their apical half,
and the lateral ones broadly edged with brownish-black; forehead and throat luminous green; on each side
of the neck a series of graduated white plumes, with a large spangle of luminous green at the tip of each ;
under surface bronzy-green; bill fleshy-red, becoming dark brown at the tip.
The female has the head and upper surface golden-green; a narrow band of white across the lower part
of the back; upper tail-coverts tipped with dark bronzy-brown; tail bronzy-green at the base, crossed by
a broad dusky band, and tipped with buff; lores and throat rust-red ; under surface bronzy-green.
The figures are of the natural size, and represent the males engaged in one of the numerous aerial
combats which so frequently occur among the species of the present genus.