JGouldatviR CPttcMt/'. del. & Idh
HELIANGELUS STROPHIANUS, Gould.
Gorg*eted Sun Angel.
Trochilus (------------?) strop/nanus, Gould in Proc. o f Zool. Soc., p a rt xiv. p. 45.
Mellimga strophiana, Gray and Mitch. Gen. o f Birds, vol. i. p. 112, Mellimga, sp. 39.
Heliangelus strophianus, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 76, Heliangelus, sp. 5.—lb . Rev. e t Mag.
de Zool. 1854, p . 252.
Anactoria Strophiana, Reichenb. Aufz. der Cohbris, p. 12.
Although the Heliangelus strophianus presents the general appearance of H. Clarissa, it nevertheless
possesses several peculiarities by which it may be at once distinguished from that species: thus, it is a
larger and more powerful b ird ; has a shorter bill; a more distinctly defined and whiter gorget; the tail
entirely steel-black, with elongated outer feathers, giving that organ a forked form; the crown of the head
green; the lower part of the back strongly tinged with brown; and the sides of the chest and lower part
of the abdomen of a deeper grass-green. The native country of this fine species is Ecuador and Northern
Peru, to which it appears to be confined; for I have never seen an example from Bogota, its place there
being supplied by H. Clarissa, and in Bolivia by H amethysticollis. Many specimens were brought to
Europe by M. Bourcier, and some fine male examples have been transmitted to me by my friend Professor
Jameson, who collected them in the neighbourhood of Quito, which I regard as the head-quarters of the
species.
The male has a spot of luminous green on the forehead; the crown of the head, all the upper surface
and abdomen dull green; behind the eye a small spot of white ; chin black ; throat rich violet-red or puce-
colour, the blue or violet hue slightly increased on the upper and lateral margins; below this a clearly
defined gorget of white ; rump and upper tail-coverts greenish-brown ; centre of the back, wing-coverts and
under surface green; lores and sides of the neck black; wings purplish-black; tail steel- or bluish-black;
under tail-coverts white, streaked with dark brown ; bill black ; feet brown.
The female has a faint indication of the luminous mark on the forehead; head, upper surface and two
central tail-feathers bronzy-green, lateral tail-feathers black; throat dull mottled black and brown, and a
slight indication of the white gorget..
The figures are of the natural size. The plant is the Plumiena Jamesoni.