Genus Acestrura Gould

It has always appeared to me that the well-known Calothorax Mulsanti and C. Heliodori might very properly be separated into a distinct genus; and this I have accordingly done. With these must be associated the species to which I have given the name of C. decoratus, and, I think, the singular little C. micrurus. They are all from the Andes, and are among the most diminutive of the Trochilidæ. Their structure would lead one to suspect that their wings are capable of very rapid motion, that organ being so small that it must be moved with increased rapidity to enable the bird to sustain itself when poising before a flower.

Generic characters.

Male.—Bill longer than the head, cylindrical, and very slightly arched; two centre tail-feathers extremely small, the two outer ones filamentous and shorter than the third; wings diminutive; tarsi clothed; feet small; gorget luminous.

Female—Unadorned.

• 164.

  Acestrura Mulsanti

  Habitat: The temperate regions of the Andes, from Bogota to Quito

  Plate 145 Calothorax Mulsanti Mulsant’s Wood Star

  I observe that specimens from the former locality are smaller than those from the latter. Mr. Fraser found this bird at Pallatanga and Puellaro in Ecuador.

  • Lucifer Mulsanti, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 10.
  • Trochilus filicaudus, Licht. in Mus. Berol.
  • Chaetocercus Mulsanti. Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 60.
• 165.

  Acestrura decorata (Gould)

  Habitat: Uncertain, but supposed to be Anupam in New Granad

  Plate 146 Calothorax decoratus Decorated Wood-star
• 166.

  Acestrura Heliodori

  Habitat: The Andes of New Granada

  Plate 147 Calothorax Heliodori Heliodore’s Wood Star

  • Lucifer Heliodori, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 10.
  • Chaetocercus Heliodori, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 60.
  • Calothorax bombilus, Reichenb. MS.
• 167.

  Acestrura micrura (Gould)

  Habitat: Peru or Bolivia

  Plate 148 Calothorax micrurus Short-tailed Wood-Star