Eriocnemis Mosquera

It is only of late years that any species of this singular genus has been discovered; only in fact since the higher Andes have been visited by European collectors, and their attention called to the rich productions which there abound.

For the discovery of the present bird we are indebted to M. De Lattre, who procured it at Pasto in New Grenada, and who in conjunction with his friend M. Bourcier named it Mosquera, in honour of General Mosquera, President of the Republic of New Grenada, a distinguished patron of science and natural history.

In its rich golden colours it differs from every other species of the group to which it belongs, and particularly from E. Luciani and E. cupreiventris, but at the same time it is more intimately allied to those species than to any others.

After examining numerous specimens of both sexes, I find but little difference in their colouring; as MM. Bourcier and De Lattre state, the female has a somewhat darker tail and the ruffs on the legs less developed.

General plumage golden green, becoming of a purer green on the wing-coverts, back and rump, and passing again into luminous golden green on the extremities of the tail-coverts; wings purplish brown; four central tail-feathers green; the next on each side olive on the inner web, green on the outer, the next olive, with a wash of green along the outer web and at the tip; the outer one olive, with a tinge of green at the tip only; under surface golden, becoming very bright on the throat and passing into green on the centre of the abdomen; under tail-coverts green; thighs thickly clothed with white down; bill blackish brown; under mandible lighter than the upper, or inclining to flesh-colour; feet dark brown.

The figures represent the two sexes of the size of life.

References

More hummingbirds in the genus Eriocnemis

• Eriocnemis cupreiventris Coppery-bellied Puff-leg
• Eriocnemis simplex Olive-coloured Puff-leg
• Eriocnemis Isaacsoni Long-billed Puff-leg
• Eriocnemis Luciani Buquet’s Puff-leg
• Eriocnemis vestita Glowing Puff-leg
• Eriocnemis nigrivestis Black-bested Puff-leg
• Eriocnemis Godini Godin’s Puff-leg
• Eriocnemis D’Orbignyi D’Orbigny’s Puff-leg
• Eriocnemis Derbiana Derby’s Puff-leg
• Eriocnemis Alinæ Metallic Puff-leg
• Eriocnemis squamata Scaly Puff-leg
• Eriocnemis lugens Hoary Puff-leg
• Eriocnemis Aureliæ Aurelia’s Puff-leg
• Eriocnemis dybowskii Dybowski’s Puff-leg
• Eriocnemis dyselius Black-vented Puff-leg
• Eriocnemis chrysorama Blue-vented Puff-leg
• Eriocnemis assimilis Brown-booted Puff-leg
• Eriocnemis smaragdini­pectus Green-breasted Puff-leg
• Eriocnemis sapphiropygia Sapphire-vented Puff-leg