ERIOCNEMIS ASSIMILIS, Elliot.
Brown-booted Puff-leg.
Eriocnemis assimilis, Ellio t, Bu ll. Soc. Zool. France, i. p. 2 2 7 ( 1 8 7 6 ) ; id. Synopsis o f the
Humming-Birds, p. 1 8 9 (1 8 7 8 ).
T his appears be a very good and distinct species, according to the indications of Mr. Elliot, who described it
from specimens collected by Mr. Clarence Buckley at Tilotilo and Apollo in Bolivia. It is distinguished by
its uniform pale brown puffs on the tarsi. Mr. Elliot observes:—“ It is very close to E. aurelice o f Bourcier
and Mulsant, but has the downy tufts on the tarsi uniform yellowish brown, whereas in E. aurelice they are
white, with some of them reddish or rosy at the base. There is between these two species just the same
difference as exists between E . lugens and E. squamata o f Gould; and these latter are generally accepted by
naturalists as good species. The throat is lighter than the breast; but E. aurelice has the throat blackish,
very different in colour to that o f E . assimilis. The size of the two birds is almost the same; if one can
find any difference, the present species is perhaps a little smaller. I have two specimens exactly similar to
each other in my collection.”
The following full description is further given by Mr. Elliot in his ‘ Synopsis
“ Adult. Head, neck, and upper tail-coverts coppery red; back and wing-coverts shining green; wings
purple-brown ; underparts shining green with a coppery lustre, lightest on the throat; abdomen buff;
under tail-coverts shining green, margined with buff; tarsal tufts pale brown; tail bronze at the base,
passing to black at the tip s ; bill black; feet light brown. Total length 31 inches, wing 2 i, tail I t,
culmen £.”
ERIOCNEMIS SMARAGD INI PECTUS, Gould.
Green-breasted Puff-leg’.
Eriocnemis smaragdinipectus, Gould, Ann. & Mag. N a t. H ist. ( 4 ) i. p. 3 2 2 (1868). Elliot,
Ibis, 1 8 7 2 , p. 2 9 5 .— Mulsant, H ist. Na t. Oiseaux-Mouelies, iii. p. 3 5 ( 1 8 7 6 ) . lg
Ellio t, Synopsis o f th e Humming-Birds, p. 1 9 4 (1 8 7 8 ).
The present species is one o f the white-booted Puff-legs, and belongs to the blue-throated section. It is
further distinguished, as Mr. Elliot points out, by its golden-green under surface.
The following is my original account o f the species
■•This species, which is from the neighbourhood of Quito, is very closely allied to Eriocnemis cestita, but
differs from that bird in the green o f the breast commencing immediately below the blue throat-spot,
whereas in live old males o f E. cestita, when viewed in bright sunlight, a black band is seen separating the
two colours. It is true that this band is green in certain lights; but the feathers are o f a different
structure to those of the Quitan species. Taking the average o f seven specimens of both kinds, I find that
E smaragdinipectus has a rather longer bill and somewhat shorter wing than E . cestita-, in all other
respects their dimensions are very similar. The green of the abdomen of the former is more pure, or not
so yellow as the same part o f the latter; in the gorgeous colouring o f the rump perhaps the Quitan bird is
somewhat less resplendent than the Bogotan E . cestita. I have ample materials at my disposal for
determining the distinctness o f the two birds; and, however similar they may be, there are sufficient
tangible characters by which each may be recognized, and to show that they are really different.
Head and upper surface dullish grass-green; rump and upper tail-coverts resplendently luminous yellowish
green ; on the throat a patch of violet-blue; thence to the vent glittering grass-green ; under tail-coverts
bright'blue; thighs thickly clothed with white downy feathers; bill, primaries, and tail-feathers black.
Total length 4 inches, bill wing 2i%, tail l£.