. © F I E I O I M S m k M Godm.
LOPHORNIS PAVONINUS, Salvin $ Godman.
Uoraima Coquette.
Lophornis pavoninus, Salvin & Godman, Ibis, 1 8 8 2 , p. 8 1 .
Polemistna pavonina, Salvin & Godman, Ibis, 1 8 8 5 , p. 4 3 3 .
T he present species was discovered by Mr. Henry Whitely during his well-known exploration of British
Guiana, where he met with it on the Merume Mountains and on Koraitna at a height of from 3000 to 3500
feet. Messrs. Salvin and Godman state that it is allied to L . verreauxi, but differs in many particulars; the
head, instead of having the forehead green and the occiput black, has a black central streak running from
the base o f the bill to the nape, on each side of which is a broad green streak. The elongated green
feathers on each side of the neck are broad, and have a conspicuous black spot near the apex of each feather,
this spot in the largest feathers being quite large. The feathers o f the front extend much further along the
culmen o f the bill than in L . verreaum, and in this respect recall this peculiarity in the genus Orthorhynchus.
Mr. Whitely’s first collection contained only a single example of this Humming-bird, which he obtained at
a height o f 2000 feet. He has kindly sent us the following account of its capture •
“ After ascending the Merume Mountains from the Merume river-side, I met with a terrible gunpowder
accident which deprived me of the use o f my hands for over a month, and the Indians brought me to a hut
amongst the hills, travelling about 17 miles in a northerly direction from the top of the Chichi falls on the
Upper Mazarune. The hut was situated on the open savannah, with a large forest at the back, and here on
my restoration to health my first collection from the mountainous country of British Guiana was made. At
this season of the year (June and July 1881) there were many large trees in the forest bearing large bunches
o f white flowers, and these were frequented by numerous species o f Huunning-birds; but from the great
height o f the trees I was forced to get my Indians to climb halfway up, and then stand on some of the
overhanging branches to shoot them, so that it was not possible to observe much of their habits.
“ This interesting bird was the only one obtained, and though we were constantly on the watch for more,
we never got a second example, and I should fancy that it was a bird that had strayed out of its usual haunts,
attracted by the flowers. The stomach contained remains o f very minute insects.”
Two males and a female are figured on the Plate, drawn from a pair o f specimens lent to us by Messrs.
Salvin and Godman.
[R. B. S.]