DOEBFERA. VERAOTENSIS» Sab.
DORIFERA YERAGUENSI S, Salvin.
Yerag’uan Lance-bill.
Dorifera veraguensis, Salvin, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1 8 6 7 , p. 1 54.
Dorxjfera veraguensis, Mulsant, Hist. N a t. Oiseaux-Mouclies, i. p. 1 9 9 (1874).
Hemistephania veraguensis, Elliot, Synopsis o f the Humming-Birds, p. 8 2 (1878).
T he very dark shade o f the green under-surface, coupled with the metallic green forehead, which is darker
than in D . ludovicice, serves to render this species recognizable from the last-named bird. It was described
by Mr. Osbert Salvin from Veraguan skins collected by Enrique Arce ; and I have a skin in my collection
said to be from Costa Rica; but there may be some doubt as to the correctness of this locality.
Mr. Salvin published the followwing remarks when first calling attention to the distinctness of the
Veraguan bird:—“ There seems to be considerable individual variation between members of this species;
or I should be inclined to separate, as a distinct race, the bird found in Veragua, a single specimen only of
which has as yet reached me. The shining forehead is considerably darker and of a bluer shade, the bill
longer, and the under plumage blacker than in a New Granadian specimen of D . ludovicice before me; the
wings, too, are shorter. Should the receipt of additional specimens confirm the constancy of these
distinctions, I propose for this race the name o f Dorifera veraguensis”
The Plate represents two males and a female bird, drawn from specimens lent to me by Messrs. Salvin
and God man.