Many years have now elapsed since I received, direct from Para, three specimens, all of which appear to be fully adult, of a species of Glaucis which M. Bourcier, of Paris, as well as myself, considers to be distinct from any of those already described.
This bird is figured on the accompanying plate; and it will be readily seen that, although it bears a general resemblance to the G. Mazeppa, it has a very different tail, the feathers being narrow and much more pointed or lance-shaped. I am quite aware that this pointed form of tail-feather is characteristic of the young of nearly all the species of the genus, and indeed of the genera Phaëthornis, Eutoxeres, and Threnetes; but in no instance have I seen it carried to so great an extent as in the specimens above mentioned. They also exhibit another characteristic of the young of most, if not all the species of this section of the Trochilidæ—namely that of having the primaries and secondaries narrowly margined with buffy grey. With this remark I leave the subject for the consideration of future ornithologists, and content myself with suggesting that one of the points to which we should all direct attention is that of ascertaining the specific value of this and the three or four nearly allied members of the genus Glaucis—namely, G. hirsuta, G. Mazeppa, G. melanura, and G. affinis—whether they are all referable to one, or constitute as many distinct species. The very wide extent of country over which these birds range is in favour of the latter hypothesis.
Crown of the head dark brown; all the upper surface, wing-coverts, and sides of the neck shining green; two centre tail-feathers green, tipped with white, the next rufous at the base, black glossed with green near the extremity, and tipped with white; the three outer ones on each side rich deep rufous, crossed near the extremity by a band of black, beyond which the tips are white; wings purplish brown, the primaries and secondaries margined at their tips with buffy grey; lores and ear-coverts dark brown; mark behind the eye, stripe from the angle of the bill and the chin buff; throat and breast rufous, becoming much paler on the abdomen, and still paler on the under tail-coverts; upper mandible blackish brown; under mandible yellow, with a black tip; feet yellow or flesh-colour.
The figures are of the size of life. The plant is the Gesneria bulbosa, var. lateritia.
Featuring all 422 illustrated species from John Gould’s A Monograph of the Trochilidæ, or Family of Humming-Birds arranged by color.
Humming-Birds
