JRHAMPHOMICBQ® DOISSAI S a b & Godm.
RHAMPHOMICRON DORSALE, Salv. Sf Godm.
Simons’s Thorn-bill.
Rhamphomicron dorsale, O. Salvin & P . D . Godman, Ibis, 1 8 8 0 , p. 1 7 2 , pi. v. figs. 1, 2.
T his beautiful species was discovered by Mr. Simons during his exploration in the Sierra Nevada of
Santa Marta, Colombia, and was described by Messrs. Salvin and Godman, to whom I am much indebted
for the loan o f the typical specimens.
The female was first procured by Mr. Simons, who found it flitting about a small stream in a wood at an
altitude of 9200 feet, on the 17th of July 1879; and on the 23rd o f the same month he fell in with the male,
which was shot on the grassy slope of a hill at a height of 2000 feet above the sea, far from bushes and
trees.
The present species cannot well be mistaken, the colour of its back at once distinguishing it from Rham-
phomicron microrhynchum. Messrs. Salvin and Godman have given an excellent description of both sexes,
accompanied by an admirable plate of the species, drawn by Mr. Keulemans : I translate their account of
the bird as follows
“Adult male. Above black, slightly shaded with greenish, the rump narrowly bronzy purplish ; wings dusky;
the tail, which is deeply forked, purplish black; sides o f the head and neck deep black; throat very
brilliant greenish golden ; abdomen pale dusky brown, washed with greenish golden, especially on the flanks ;
vent dull whitish, each feather marked down the middle with a greenish spo t; bill short, a little curved,
black ; feet black. Total length 4-2 inches, wing 2*3, tail 0 5 , outer tail-feather 2*0, central one 115, bill
from gape 0*5.” The iris is given by Mr. Simons as “ dark brown.”
“ The female is green above, with the upper tail-coverts bronzy pnrplish, the tail purplish black, the outer
feathers tipped with white; underneath whitish, the throat and flanks spotted with greenish gold; the
middle of the throat marked with a few greenish-gold feathers; outer tail-feather 1-6 inch, centre tailfeather
1 *1 .” ,
The figures in the Plate are those o f two adult males and female, o f the natural size, and they are drawn
from the type specimens lent to me by Messrs. Salvin and Godman.