O-OIULDIA L A M W I f f l l i
GOULDIA LANGSDORFFI.
Lang’sdorff’s Thorn-tail.
Trochilus Langsdorffi, Vieill. Ency. Meth. Orn., part ii. p. 574.—Temm. PI. Col. 66. fig. 1.
—Vieill. Ois. dor., tom. iii. ined. pi. 20.— Valenc. Diet. Sci. Nat., tom. xxxv.
p. 493.—Less. Man. d’Orn., tom. ii. p. 77-—Ib. Ind. Gen. et Syn. da Gen.
Trochilus, p. xxxii.
Ornismya Langsdorffi, Less. Hist. Nat. des Ois. Mou., p. 102. pi. 26; Supp., p. 129. pi. 16.
—Ib. Les Troch., p. 101. pi. 35.—Jard. Nat. Lib. Humming Birds, vol. ii. p. 69-
pi. 10.
Colibri hirundinaceus, Spix, Av. Sp. Nov. Bras., tom. i. p. 80. tab. lxxxi. fig. 2.
Mellisuga Langsdorffi, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 113, Mellisuga, sp. 68.
Gouldia langsdorffi, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 86, Gouldia, sp. 1.— Ib. Consp. Troch. in
Rev. et Mag. de Zool., 1854, p. 257-
T his beautiful species was discovered by M. Langsdorff, the Russian Consul at Rio de Janeiro, after whom it
was named by Vieillot, as a compliment due to the zeal displayed by him in the pursuit of natural history
while the companion of Krusenstern, in his celebrated voyage round the world, and during his residence
in Brazil; subsequently, Dr. Spix, unaware of its having been already named, assigned to it the
specific appellation of hirundinaceus.
Mr. Reeves, of Rio de Janeiro, informs me, that during some years it is very plentiful in that province,
and equally scarce in others : “ the young birds arrive in July, but the old ones do not make their appearance
until September and October, and depart again in November. I have only seen two nests ; one of
which I gave to Prince William of Hesse, the other is in my own collection ; they are both exactly alike,
and both were found on old dry moss-covered trees.”
That this bird enjoys a most extensive range over the interior of the country is very probable, for in a
collection of birds lately transmitted from Quejos by Don Manuel Villavicencio, I found a specimen agreeing
in every particular with those received from the province of Rio.
The female of this species, like the females of the other members of the genus, differs very considerably
from the male. The tail-feathers are short, broad, and rounded at the end; and the centre ones scarcely a
quarter of an inch in length, while the outer ones are upwards of three quarters. In all probability the young
birds of the year assume a similar plumage to that of the female.
The male has the crown of the head, throat and breast glittering metallic green, bounded below
by a band of fiery orange-red; upper surface golden green with a band of white across the rump, expanding
into a large patch on each side, and overhanging the thighs; upper part of the abdomen black; lower
part of the abdomen, vent and under tail-coverts clouded greyish white; wings purplish brown ; six middle
tail-feathers and the bases of the lateral ones deep steel-blue, the remaining length of the latter brownish
grey, the under surface of the shafts of the whole white; thighs greyish white, blotched with brownish
black; bill black.
In the female the crown of the head and upper surface is bronzy green with a white mark across the
rump, as in the male; chin black; a streak of white on each side from the angle of the month; throat
spangled with bronzy green ; central tail-feathers steel-blue fringed with white at the tip; lateral feathers
greyish brown at the base, passing into steel-blue towards the extremity, and tipped with white ; legs-and
thighs as in the male.
The figures, which are of the natural size, are intended to represent both sexes.