Illustration not included in supplement volume
This species was discovered by M. Stolzmann in Peru, at Chirimoto and Ray-urmana.
Dr. Taczanowski records it as a form intermediate between the two species already known, and closely allied to U. benjamini, but larger, with the spot on the throat not so large, of another shade of colour and, at the same time, less metallic, with the under wing-coverts of another colour, the spot behind the eye much smaller and with scarcely any whitish space on the lower throat, the bill also being more slender and the centre tail-feathers shorter than in the allied species.
The following is a translation of Dr. Taczanowski’s original description:—
Adult male. Brilliant golden green above, the feathers on the top of the head somewhat scaly; the throat and fore part of the neck covered with scaly plumes of glittering green under certain lights, followed by a triangular spot of dull and not very shining violet; breast and abdomen green, the feathers in the centre of these parts broadly edged with greyish white; under tail-coverts reddish with a green disk; anal region white; a very small white spot behind the eye. The wings reach to the end of the centre tail-feathers, with the upper and lower tail-coverts of the same colour as the body; quills brown, with a violet lustre, changing to olive under certain lights. Tail deeply forked, with the tail-feathers of moderate size, the middle ones the shortest, the outer one scarcely extending beyond the penultimate one, green at the base and of a dull reddish copper-colour on the terminal half; the middle and adjoining feathers broadly tipped with white, the former with a small brown spot at the extreme end; lower aspect of the tail less brilliant, of a bronzy olive colour, slightly glossed with reddish towards the extremity of the tailfeathers, the colour being. distinctly more brilliant on the four feathers in the middle of the tail. Bill black; feet blackish brown; iris black.
The female and young birds are also described by Dr. Taczanowski, and they evidently differ from the male in the same manner as the other species of the genus.
[R. B. S.]
Featuring all 422 illustrated species from John Gould’s A Monograph of the Trochilidæ, or Family of Humming-Birds arranged by color.
Humming-Birds
