J.Gould/ k W.HartdtL ft litiu
QXYP0G0N CmNOlulEJM VtuUtr. imp.
OXYPOGON CYANOLJ1MUS, Saiv. <$■ Godm.
B l u e - t l i r o a t e d H e l r a e t - c r e s t .
Oan/pogon eyanolxmm, O. Salvin & F . D. Godman, Ibis, 1 8 8 0 , p. 1 7 2 , pi. iv. fig. 2.
T his may be considered one of tbe finest of the Humming-birds described since the conclusion o f my
I Monograph,’ and it forms an interesting addition to the genus Oxypogon. It was found by Mr. Simons on
the 18th and 19th o f July 1879, on the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta, in Colombia, at an altitude of from
10,000 to 14,000 feet above the sea.
Messrs. Salvin and Godman remark that the present bird is like O.cypogm guenm, hut may he
distinguished at a glance by the long plumes o f the throat being blue instead o f green, and by its having the
inner web of the lateral tail-feathers entirely creamy-white except at the tips. They write:—“ The species
is perfectly distinct from O. gaerim of the high mountain-ranges o f Colombia, and also from O. hndem from
the high lands of Merida. Besides other differences, the colouring o f the middle o f the throat at once
distinguishes these beautiful birds, that o f O. lindem being white, of O. guerim green, and of our new
species blue. In having a large amount of white in the tail, O. cyamtemm approaches more nearly
O. guerinii§ I . . , .,
The following is a translation of the original description given by Messrs. Salvin and Godman : Above
dull green, the sides o f the neck and the nape white, the whole of the head black, washed with green ; an
elongated black crest, with a central streak of white, divided into two towards the nostrils; underneath
whitish the middle o f the throat ornamented with elongated blue plumes, the sides of the body spotted with
dull green; tail bronzy-green, the three outer tail-feathers on each side creamy white excepting the tips
and the outer web (the outermost excepted). H H H
“ The female is similar to the male, but the head uniform with the back, the elongated crest and blue
throat being absent; hill and feet black. Total length 4-5 inches, wing 2-7, outer tail-feather 3-2, centre
tail-feather 2-9, bill from gape 0-6.”
The figures in the Plate are drawn from the typical specimens lent to me by Messrs. Salvin and Godman,
and represent two adult males and a female.