Mr. Dyson, and all who have seen this bird in a state of nature, agree in stating, that, as its general form
and forked tail would indicate, its flight is most rapid and powerful.
Professor Jameson of Quito, in one of his Letters to Sir William Jardine, Bart., mentions that it feeds
on the flowers of the Sedum Quítense, which plant covers the walls and house-tops of Quito.
The adult male has the crown of the head rich shining yellowish metallic green; on the throat a
small gorget of beautiful shining purplish blue; plumage of the body bronzy green, becoming of a
browner hue on the under surface; wing-coverts and tips of the spurious wing-feathers shining green ; the
remainder of the wings purple brown ; two central tail-feathers rich shining metallic green; the three next
on each side black at the base, changing into rich blue near their apices, and broadly margined and
tipped with rich shining metallic green, shaded in some positions with blue; basal half of the outer feather
on each side black, their apical halves rich deep metallic purplish blue; a few white feathers stretch across
the lower part of the abdomen ; under tail-coverts green; above and behind the eye a very minute mark of
white; bill black; feet dark brown.
The young male resembles the adult, but has the whole of the colouring, especially the mark on the head,
far less brilliant; is entirely destitute of the gorget on the throat, and has the lateral tail-feathers much less
developed.
The female has the crown mark of green, but much less brilliant than in the male; the upper surface
and wing-coverts rich golden bronze ; a small mark of white behind the eye, and a small streak of the same
hue beneath it ; under surface rufous washed with bronzy green on the flanks ; central tail-feathers shining
green, changing to purple towards the tip; lateral feathers black, glossed with deep blue and largely tipped
with white; all the tail-feathers purplish black on their under surface; throat greyish white, with a round
spot of dull green near the tip of each feather.
The Plate represents an adult male, a young male, and a female of the natural size.
The plant introduced on the plate is a Nymphcea, of the country inhabited by the bird, and of which
living specimens may be seen in the Royal Gardens at Kew: the figure is copied, with some alterations,
from that published in Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, a work which should be in the possession of every
lover of flowers, replete as it is with objects of the greatest beauty and interest.