THAUMATIAS BREVIROSTRIS.
Short-billed Emerald.
Omumya bremrostris, Less. Hist. Nat. des Ois. mou., pp. xxxv. e t 211. pi. 77.—Less. TrartcS
d’Ora., p. 283.
Basilmna bremrostris, Less. Ind. Gen. e t Syn. des Ois. dn Genre Trochilus, p. xxvi.—Ib. Rev. Zool.
1839, p. 15.
Polytmm bremrostris, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 108, Polytmm, sp. 44.
Thaumatias bremrostris, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 78, Thaumatias, sp. 2.
Thaumantias bremrostris, Bonap. Rev. e t Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 255.
is extremely difficult to determine with certainty what species of Hamming B.rds some of the Plates of
: older and even of the recent writers are intended to represent. One of fl.e figures to whtch to^remark
dies, is that of the Ornismya bremrostris of Lesson’s “ Histotre Naturelle des Oiseanx Mouches R
’ 1 of the bird there figured be drawn of the right length, then the b,rd represented must be the
urmon species - frequently sent to London and Paris from Rio de Jane.ro; but .f the o ^ her
,en, G u iL , he correct, then the Plate is intended to represent some other spec.es, as the W
„ is never seen in that country. The colouring and descr,pt,on g.ven by Lesson, W M
d unsatisfactory, that they further perplex rather than asstst .» a solutmn of W H H
iecting, then, the name of bremrostris altogether, I think it w.ll be best to constder >t as re fe ra b k |.th e
azilian bird alone, and that the locality of Guiana is an error, which, .1 .s mncl. to be regretted, has
■ ^ s l n ^ P t e ^ e copifd from specimens collected in the neighbourhood of Rio de Jane.ro
.ere, 7 . note from Mr. Reeves informs me, the species is no. common; but at Novo Frdmrgo, about
vpntv miles from the city» it is abundant. , , , . ■
Tlie nest is a small round cup-shaped structure, composed of soft cottony mater, s, an “ °
•ternaUy with the involucres of composite plants; long shred-like danglmg p.eces of bark
— the rim and to the sides with the finest cobwebs,-so fine, H as to he .mpercephble to
e naked eve. The eggs, as usual, are two in number, and of a spotless white.
The local name of the bird at Rio is Krikri branco. Its cry, which is very buA resembles Pecker,
ecksr. Tutz
Crown of the head, a„ the upper surfhce,
eenish-bronze: wings purplish-brown; two central tail-feathers y g ’ . BHIBWi tips ; c e l e Of the throat and abdomen white; under tad-cover s pale bronsy-brown,
own, wuu uusKy p , flesh-colour: feet fleshy-brown.