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BOURCIERIA FULGID I GULA, Gould.
Green-Throated Inca.
T he Loddigesian Collection at Hackney has for many years been graced with specimens of this Humming
Bird, collected in Peru, and M. Bourcier obtained numerous examples in Ecuador, some of which are now
in my own collection. This gentleman and myself have hitherto considered the Trochilus insectivorus of
Dr. Tschudi and the present bird to be identical, but having been permitted by the authorities of the Museum
at Neufchatel to bring the original of Dr. Tschudi’s description to London, for the purpose of comparison,
I now believe the two birds to be quite distinct; I have therefore given the present species a distinctive
appellation, namely, that offulgidigula, with reference to its glittering green throat. It is very nearly allied
to Bourcieria torquata, but differs in having the spot on the crown green instead of blue, and in the richer
hue and greater amount of green on the throat. Its native country is evidently the northern parts of the
Peruvian Andes, iucluding Ecuador.
The sexes present the same differences that are observable in Bourcieria torquata, and the females of the
two species are so nearly alike, that the one can scarcely be distinguished from the other.
The male has the forehead, nape, upper part of the back, face and ear-coverts black with green reflexions;
in the centre of the crown a nearly triangular mark of metallic green; shoulders, spurious wing, three inner
secondaries, back and upper tail-coverts deep green; chin and throat beautifully spangled with green; a
large gorget of pure white across the breast; abdomen black with green reflexions on the tips of the
feathers; thighs black; tarsi white; toes yellowish rose-colour; wings purplish brown; two central tail-
feathers dark olive-green ; the remainder pure white tipped with dark olive-green, which colour also extends
down the external margin of the outer feather for three parts of its length.
The Plate represents two males and a female of the natural size, on a species of Stifftia.