CALOTHORAX JOURDANI.
Jourdan’s Wood-star.
Ornimya Jourdanii, Bourc. Rev. Zool. 1839, p. 295.
-------------Jordani, Bourc. Ann. Soc. Sci. Phys. et Nat. Lyon, 1840, p. 227. pis. 5, 6.
Mellisuga Jourdani, Gray and Mitch. Gen. o f Birds, vol. i. p. 113, Mellisuga, sp. 65.
Calothorax jourdani, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 85, Calothorax, sp. 6.
Jourdani, Reich. Auf. der Col., p. 13.—lb . Troch. Enum., p. 10.
Callothorax jourdani, Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 257.
Chastocercm Jourdani, Gray, Cat. o f Gen. and Sub-Gen. o f Birds in Brit. Mus., p. 22, no. 349.
If the Calothorax Jourdani and C. Rosce are not one and the same species, they are certainly most nearly
allied, the principal, if not the only difference between them being a slight variation in the colouring of
their throat-marks, which in the latter is crimson, and in the former deep lilac or puce ; in size and form,
and in the colouriug of their tails, the two birds are precisely similar. This latter organ (the tail) is very
peculiar, and differs from that of all other Humming-Birds, although there is a tendency to the same form
among the other true members of the genus Calothorax. All the Humming-Birds I have ever seen have
had ten tail-feathers ; in some instances, however, certain of these feathers are so extremely small as to be
almost obsolete ; these are generally the central ones. In the present bird, and in Calothorax Rosts, the
outer feather is very short and sharp-pointed ; the two next on each side are much longer and of equal
length, while the four central ones are so short as to be almost hidden by the tail-coverts. In my specimens
of these two nearly allied species, the bill of the C. Jourdani is rather longer than that of C. Rosts ; but
whether this difference be constant or not I am unable to say, having seen but a limited number of the
former.
The Calothorax Jourdani has been named by M. Bourcier in honour of that very able zoologist, M. Jourdan,
the Director of the Museum of Natural History at Lyons. It is a pity, however, that, if the practice of
naming species after individuals, of which, as I have remarked in my account of C. Rosoe, I very much
disapprove, is to be continued, so pretty a bird had not been named in honour of some lady who merited
such a compliment ; still in this instance it is very well bestowed, and I have much pleasure in transcribing
the passage in which it is conferred in M. Bourcier’s own words :—
“ Le nom de cette nouvelle espèce rappelle celui d’un de nos collègues et compatriotes, M. Jourdan, qui
vient de rendre d’importants services à la science. C’est à lui que notre ville doit l’organisation de sa belle
galerie de zoologie, disposée d’après sa savante classification, qui a pour base le système nerveux. Plusieurs
naturalistes nous ont déjà précédés dans l’hommage que nous nous plaisons à lui adresser aujourd’hui.”
The male has the head, all the upper surface, wing- and tail-coverts, four centre tail-feathers, flanks and
abdomen bronzy green ; wings purple-brown ; lateral tail-feathers purplish brown, with a stripe of sandy
red down the centre of the basal half of the four longer ones ; on the chin and throat a gorget of the
richest deep lilac or puce, below which is a band of greyish white ; bill black ; feet brownish black.
The female has the whole of the upper surface, centre tail-feathers, wing-coverts and upper part of the
flanks golden green ; wings purplish brown ; three outer tail-feathers on each side sandy buff, crossed
obliquely by a broad mark of black ; under surface huffy white, becoming of a deeper hue on the flanks.
The Plate represents both sexes of the size of life. The plant is the Oncidium incumtm.
Tima