The Loddigesian Collection at Hackney has for many years been graced with specimens of this Humming Bird, collected in Peru, and M. Bourcier obtained numerous examples in Ecuador, some of which are now in my own collection.
This gentleman and myself have hitherto considered the Trochilus insectivorus of Dr. Tschudi and the present bird to be identical, but having been permitted by the authorities of the Museum at Neufchatel to bring the original of Dr. Tschudi’s description to London, for the purpose of comparison; I now believe the two birds to be quite distinct; I have therefore given the present species a distinctive appellation, namely, that of fulgidigula, with reference to its glittering green throat. It is very nearly allied to Bourcieria torquata, but differs in having the spot on the crown green instead of blue, and in the richer hue and greater amount of green on the throat. Its native country is evidently the northern parts of the Peruvian Andes, including Ecuador.
The sexes present the same differences that are observable in Bourcieria torquata, and the females of the two species are so nearly alike, that the one can scarcely be distinguished from the other.
The male has the forehead, nape, upper part of the back, face and ear-coverts black with green reflexions; in the centre of the crown a nearly triangular mark of metallic green; shoulders, spurious wing, three inner secondaries, back and upper tail-coverts deep green; chin and throat beautifully spangled with green; a large gorget of pure white across the breast; abdomen black with green reflexions on the tips of the feathers; thighs black; tarsi white; toes yellowish rose-colour; wings purplish brown; two central tailfeathers dark olive-green; the remainder pure white tipped with dark olive-green, which colour also extends down the external margin of the outer feather for three parts of its length.
The Plate represents two males and a female of the natural size, on a species of Stifftia.
Featuring all 422 illustrated species from John Gould’s A Monograph of the Trochilidæ, or Family of Humming-Birds arranged by color.
Humming-Birds
