AVOCETTULA RECURVIROSTRIS.
Fiery-tailed Arocet.
TrocMlm recmvirostris, Swains. Zool. HI., vol. ii. pi. 105.—Jard. Nat. Lib. Humming Birds,
i vol. i. p. 80. pi. 3.
Mellimga:? recurvirosttris, Steph. Cont. o f Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xiv. p. 248.
Ornismya recurvirostiis, Less. Hist. Nat. des Ois. Mou., p. 129.pl. 37.—lb. Supp., p. 166. pi. 34.
—lb. Traité d’Om., p. 284.
Campyloptei'ns recurvirostris, Swains. Class, o f Birds, vol. ii. p. 330.
Hylochaiis recumirostiis, Gray and Mitch. Gen. o f Birds, vol. i. p. 114, Hylocharis, sp. 11.
Curve-billed Humming Bird, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 358.
Avocettinus recurvirostris, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 75, Avocettinus, sp. Î.
Avocettula recurvirostris, Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 256.—Reichenb. Aufz. der
Colibris, p. 6.— lb. Troch. enumer., p. 3. pi. d c l x x ix . figs. 4485—4489.
Ornismya avocetta, Less. Supp. Hist. Nat. des Ois. Mou., p. 145. pl. 24.— lb. Les Troch.,
p. 74. pi. 23.—Jard. Nat. Lib. Humming Birds, vol. i. p. 78. pi. 2.
Avocettinus lessoni, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 75, Avocettinus, sp. 2.
T he earliest record of the existence of this interesting bird will be found in the second volume of
Swainson’s “ Zoological Illustrations,” where a unique specimen, purchased by him at the sale of Bullock’s
celebrated Collection, is figured and described. He states that Bullock had received it from Peru; but all
the specimens that have come under my notice have been collected in Cayenne and Demerara, and these,
with the immediately adjoining countries, constitute, I believe, its true habitat: this may not, however, be
the limit of its range, and it is possible that it may visit the distant country of Peru, but I think it very
unlikely that it does, and apprehend that Bullock must have been misinformed as to the locality in which his
specimens were procured. In the absence of any positive information respecting the habits and economy of
this species, or the peculiar adaptation of its singularly-formed bill, Swainson has ventured upon the following
hypothesis, which I repeat, without being able to verify or deny it in any particular :—
“ The extraordinary formation in the bill of this beautiful little creature is without parallel in any land-
bird yet discovered, and presents in miniature a striking resemblance to that of the Avoset. It is almost
impossible to conjecture rightly the use of this singular formation; but it appears to me not very improbable,
that the principal sustenance of the bird may be -drawn from the' pendent Bignonice, and other similar
plants, so common in South America, whose corollse are long, and generally bent in their tube: the nectar
being at the bottom, could not be readily reached either by a straight or incurved bill, though very easily by
one corresponding to the shape of the flower.”
At least three very distinct states of plumage characterize this species. In the fully adult, the green
breast and the fiery under surface of the outer tail-feathers are the conspicuous features. In younger
males, even after the bird has acquired the green on the throat, the tail is greenish- or purplish-black, with
the three outer feathers tipped with white. In the females or young of the year (it is uncertain which),
the throat and centre of the abdomen are black, bounded on either side by a streak of white; in this state,
too, the outer tail-feathers are tipped with white.
I may remark that the Avocettula recurvirostris is by no means a common bird in the collections of Europe,