In a large collection of bird-skins sent to this country from Bogota in 1852, I discovered three specimens of this new and well-marked species of Phaëthornis; these are all I have ever seen, and as I have not been able to obtain any information respecting the bird from collectors, we may reasonably infer that some new district had been visited by the Indians, who procure and skin birds for sale in Bogota, and that by this means we have been made acquainted with a species, the history of which we have yet to learn.
In size the Stripe-throated Hermit exceeds the P. griseogularis, and is at once distinguished from that and all the other small species of the genus by its striated grey throat, and by the breadth of the tips of the middle tail-feathers.
I have but little doubt that of the three specimens from Bogota, two are males, as, although similar in colour, they somewhat exceed the third in size; the latter is probably a female.
The beautiful plant figured with the birds was sent to me by Professor Jameson of Quito, who states that it is “a species of Thibaudia, or some nearly allied genus, which grows wild on the western declivity of the Andes, at an elevation of between 5000 and 7000 feet. The flowers of this beautiful shrub attract several species of the Trochihdæ, particularly the Phaëthorni.”
Upper surface dark bronzy brown, becoming darker brown on the head, and reddish brown on the rump and upper tail-coverts; wings purple-brown; tail-feathers greenish bronze, the two central ones fading into greyish white; the next on each side fringed on the tip of the outer web with greyish white, the remainder fringed at the extremity of the outer web with buff, and white at the tip; above and behind the eye a streak of buff; throat and chest grey, the former striated with obscure markings of brownish black down the centre; ear-coverts black; abdomen reddish buff; under tail-coverts grey tinged with buff; upper mandible and apical half of the lower mandible black; basal half of the latter yellow.
The figures are of the natural size.
Phaëthornis Longuemareus
Longuemare’s Hermit
Phaëthornis Amaura
Amaura Hermit
Phaëthornis viridicaudata
Green-tailed Hermit
Paëthornis zonura
Southern Hermit
Phaëthornis Adolphi
Adolph’s Hermit
Phæthornis griseogularis
Grey-throated Hermit
Phaëthornis obscura
Obscure Hermit
Phaëthornis nigricinctus
Belted Hermit
Phaëthornis Episcopus
Bishop Hermit
Phaëthornis Eremita
Little Hermit
Phaëthornis pygmæus
Pigmy Hermit
Featuring all 422 illustrated species from John Gould’s A Monograph of the Trochilidæ, or Family of Humming-Birds arranged by color.
Humming-Birds
