Genus Petasophora G. R. Gray

One of those genera which give but little trouble to the ornithologist is the genus Petasopuora, all the species having characters in common, while each has its own peculiar distinction either in colour or markings. The sexes are alike in colour, but the females are always much smaller than the males. This is strictly an Andean group, most of the species being found in those elevated regions from Mexico in the north to Bolivia in the south; one species, the P. serrirostris, inhabits Brazil.

• 248.

  Petasophora serrirostris

  Habitat: Brazil, from Minas Geraes to Bahia

  Plate 223 Petasophora serrirostris Brazilian Violet-Ear

  • Trochilus (Lophornis) petasophorus, Tschudi, Consp. p. 37, No. 205.
  • Trochilus chalcotis, Licht. in Mus. of Berlin.
  • Petasophora chalcotis, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. p. 13; Id. Troch. Enum. p. 11.
  • Petasophora serrirostris, Id. ib. p. 13.
  • Petasophora crispa, Burm. Th. Bras. tom. il. p. 335.
  • Petasophora serrirostris, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 25.
  • Petasophora Gouldi, Bonap. (proposed for a smaller bird inhabiting Bahia).
• 249.

  Petasophora Anais

  Habitat: New Granada and Venezuela

  Plate 224 Petasophora Anais Columbian Violet-Ear

  • Petasophora anais, Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 250; Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 11; Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 26.
  • Praxilla Anais, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. p. 13.
• 250.

  Petasophora iolata (Gould)

  Habitat: Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia

  Plate 225 Petasophora iolata Bolivian Violet-Ear

  • ? Trochilus (Coeligena) Anais, Tschudi, ona p. 36, No. 201; Id. Faun. Peru. p. 244, No. 4.
  • Prazilla iolata, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. p. 13.
  • Petasophora iolata, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 11.
  • Petasophora rhodotis “Gould,” Saucerotte in Mus. Heinean.
  • Petasophora iolata, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil i. p. 26.
• 251.

  Petasophora coruscans (Gould)

  Habitat: Unknown

  Plate 226 Petasophora coruscans Chequered Violet-Ear

  I have never seen a second example of this singular bird, which departs from the ordinary species, and assimilates somewhat to the P. Delphinæ.

• 252.

  Petasophora thalassina

  Habitat: Mexico and Guatemala

  Plate 227 Petasophora thalassina Mexican Violet-Ear

  “The barrancos of the Volcan de Fuego are favourite resorts of this species. A specimen obtained at Duefias on the 15th of September was the only one I saw out on the llano, as the bird is usually found in the dense forest.”—Salvin in Ibis, vol. ii. p. 260.

  • Trochilus Anais, Swains. Birds of Brazil, pl. 75.
  • Ornismya Anais, Less. Supp. des Ois.-mou. pl. 32.
  • Ramphodon Anais, Less. Troch. p. 148, pl. 56?
  • Trochilus Anais, Jard. Nat. Lib. Humming-Birds, vol. il. p. 2?
  • Cynanthus thalassinus, Jard. ib. p. 148.
  • Colibris thalassina, Sclat. in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part. xxiv. p. 287.
  • Petasophora thalassina, Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 250; Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 27; Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 11.
  • Pravilla thalassina, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. p. 13.
• 253.

  Petasophora cyanotis

  Habitat: New Granada and Venezuela

  Plate 228 Petasophora cyanotis Little Violet-Ear

  • Ornismya Anais, Less. Troch. p. 151, ne 57?
  • Praxilla cyanotis, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. p. 13.
  • Petasophora cyanotus, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 11.
  • Petasophora cyanotis, Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 251; Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 26.
• 254.

  Petasophora Delphinæ

  Habitat: The Guianas, Trinidad, Venezuela, Guatemala, New Granada, and Ecuador

  Plate 229 Petasophora Delphinæ Brown Violet-Ear

  “This Humming-Bird seems to have been quite unknown at Coban previously to the collection of my specimens. The first was shot by my collector, Cipriano Prado, among some Salvia, in one of the mountain hollows near Coban. Salvie being in flower in November, their blossoms are sought after by nearly every species of HummingBird near Coban, and this among the rest. It is rare even at Coban; and though much sought for by the Indian boys in consequence of my offers of reward, but few specimens were obtained.

  “Three males to one female appears to be about the proportion of the sexes.” —Salvin in Ibis, vol. ii. p. 261.

  • Telesiella Delphinæ, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. p. 13.
  • Petasophora Delphinæ, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 11.
  • Petasophora delphina, Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 251.
  • Telesilla Delphinæ, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 27.

Supplemental

• Petasophora germana Guiana Violet-ear