PTOCHOPTERA IOLÆMA.
Natterer’s Wood-Nymph.
Riccoi'dia ioîoema, Reichenb. Aufz. der Colibr. p. 8 (1 8 5 3 ).— Id. Troch. enum. p. 4 , pi. 705,
figs. 4 5 8 8 - 8 9 (1 8 5 5 ).
Polytmus iolamus, Gray, Hand-list o f B irds, i. p. 1 31, no 1 6 6 7 (1 8 6 9 ).
TJialurania ioloema, Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 5 7 (1 8 7 1 ).— Salvin & Elliot, Ibis, 1 8 7 3 , p. 3 61.
Ptochoptera ioloema, Elliot, Ibis, 1 8 7 4 , p. 2 6 1 .— Mulsant, Hist. N a t Oiseaux-Mouches, ii.
p. 8 9 (1 8 7 6 ).— Elliot, Synopsis o f the Humming-Birds, p. 13 0 (1 8 7 8 ).— Eudes-
Deslongchamps, Ann. Mus. d’Hist. Nat. de Caen, i. p. 5 0 9 (1 8 8 0 ).
O nly a single specimen o f this species has as yet been discovered, which is now in the Vienna
Museum. It was found by the celebrated traveller Natterer, at Maribatanas, on the banks of the Rio Negro.
Mr. Elliot, who has seen the type, describes it as a small bird of rather plain plumage, but with a
brilliant throat, and he has placed it in the vicinity of the genus Smaragdoclrysis in his * Synopsis.’
The following is the description of the male given by Mr. Elliot in the above-mentioned work:—
“ Top o f head and nape dull dark green; entire upper parts grass-green, only slightly metallic. I he
tail-coverts are of a lighter green than the back, and reach to the fork of the tail. Throat pale
metallic grass-green. Rest o f underparts pale smoky brown, with some of the flank-feathers tipped
with grass-green. Under tail-coverts long, of the same colour as the abdomen, with a slight metallic
greenish lustre on the centre of the feathers. Tail long, deeply forked, dark purplish brown, the
feathers very narrow. Wings purplish brown. Bill and feet black. Total length 4 f inches, wing If,
tail 2 , bill along gape f .”
[R. B. S.]