The climate of the rich province of Rio de Janeiro, so favourable to the production of a luxuriant vegetation, would seem to be equally propitious to animal life, for in few countries of the world are the quadrupeds, birds and insects more varied in character, or more remarkable for their beauty, and the interest which attaches to them: it is in this highly favoured region that the present elegant little Humming-Bird is to be found, its chief abode being the districts to the southward of the capital.
It is a species which has attracted the notice of many naturalists, especially of those whose attention has been directed to the birds of Brazil; yet, strange to say, neither Vieillot, T’emminck, Lesson, Jardine nor Spix have said anything more respecting it than that it is from ‘such and such a locality; the following brief account of it will therefore be read with interest. Mons. A. Deyrolle of Paris, who has had ample opportunities of observing the bird in a state of nature, informs me that it is “abundant in the province of Santa Catharina, in Brazil, and is especially numerous in the environs of San Franciseo do Sul, and at Palmitar, 30 miles from the mouth of the Rio San Francisco, in about 26\(\frac{1}{2}\)° of S. latitude. It does not appear to migrate, as my brother believes that he has met with it all the year round. It seems to be attracted to the two places above mentioned, by the abundance of a tree called, in the language of the country, Ainga, the botanical name of which I am unable to give you. It is round the trunk of this tree that the bird is most commonly seen, often near the top; and it would seem to live on a kind of sugar which flows from its bark; or would it not rather be microscopic insects that it seeks for? It is not very wild: the noise produced by its wings when flying is so peculiar, that an ear a little accustomed to it will distinguish it from that accompanying the flight of all the other species inhabiting the same localities. It frequents the orange-trees and the Cofeyers during their flowering season. It does not seem to inhabit the woods, but to resort to all the open spots or clearings, especially where the Ainga trees are numerous.”
Mr. Reeves tells me that it is found at St. Paul’s, and occasionally, but very rarely, in Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catharina.
It will be seen that I have made the Ornismya Audenetii of Lesson synonymous with the present species; and as a proof that I am correct in so doing, I may mention, that, having written to M. Edouard Verreaux on the subject, he has favoured me with a reply, in which he says, “You could not have written to any one better able to answer your inquiry respecting the T. Audeneti. The example from which Lesson took his figure and description, was sold by my father to M. Audinet in 1827: after my return from the Cape of Good Hope, that gentleman’s collection came into my possession; and upon reference to the specimen in question, I am at a loss to conceive what could have induced M. Lesson to figure it as distinct; for on comparison, I find that it is nothing more than an immature example of his O. Vieilloti,” which is the T. chalybeus of Vieillot. M. Verreaux adds, that his father had received the bird from Brazil. The T. mystax of Spix is certainly identical with the bird here represented; and although this author considers it distinct, and points out some features in which he believes it to differ, I decidedly affirm that they constitute but one species.
The usual differences occur in the sexes that are found in the other members of the genus; the female being destitute at all ages of the ornamental ruff so conspicuous in the male, and having the tail shorter and more largely tipped with buff.
The male has the forehead, line beneath the eye and the lengthened ear-coverts brilliant metallic green, with, in some lights, a golden lustre; back of the head, upper surface and wing-coverts bronzy green; across the rump-a broad band of buffy white, below which is another band of chestnut-brown; wing’s purplish brown; upper tail-coverts bronzy green; tail purplish bronze, each feather narrowly margined with black and narrowly tipped with buffy white; throat glossy grass-green; lengthened plumes on each side of the neck olive-green, with a small spot of white at the extremity of each; under surface dark brown, with bronzy reflexions; centre of the breast ornamented with a number of greyish white plumes; across the lower part.of the abdomen a mark of white; bill black; feet brownish black.
The female has the upper surface greenish bronze, inclining to brown on the crown; the under surface greyish white; the feathers of the throat streaked with brown; tail bronzy at the base, deepening into deep bronzy brown towards the extremity; the lateral feathers largely, and the central ones narrowly tipped with buff; back crossed by a band of buffy white, below which is another of chestnut-brown as in the male; the wings, bill and feet are also of the same hue as in that sex.
The Plate represents a male and a female of the natural size, on a Brazilian plant, of which a drawing was sent me by Mr. Reeves.
Featuring all 422 illustrated species from John Gould’s A Monograph of the Trochilidæ, or Family of Humming-Birds arranged by color.
Humming-Birds
