Of this form there are evidently two species—one inhabiting Mexico, and the other Guatemala. It has always been considered by Trochilidists that the 15th Plate of the Supplement to ‘Lesson’s Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux-mouches’ represents one or other of them, but that he was in error in giving the interior of La Plata as its habitat. I have not been able to see Lesson’s type; otherwise I could have ascertained to which of the two it has reference, or whether it is different from both. My figures were taken from Guatemalan specimens, and Lesson’s plate would appear to have been taken from an example procured in the same country; consequently the term Pampa must be retained for the Guatemalan bird, while for the larger and stouter Mexican birds we must use Lichtenstein’s name curvipennis.
Sphenoproctus Pampa
Habitat: Guatemala
Plate 43
Campylopterus Pampa
Wedge-tailed Sabre-wing
Sphenoproctus curvipennis
Habitat: Mexico
No illustrations
“The people of Coantepec, nine miles from Jalapa,” says M. Montes de Oca, “ give to this species the name of Chupa-mirto fandanguero, or Fandango Myrtle-sucker, apparently because it has a somewhat musical voice. It is the only Humming-Bird with which I am acquainted whose notes are sufficient to recognize it by in the woods: though rather monotonous, they are very pleasing. It is occasionally found in the neighbourhood of Jalapa, but it is more abundant at Coantepec. It inhabits the forest in the winter season, and generally feeds on the flowers of the high bushes called Asasaretos, which are then in full bloom, and densely covered with smooth emerald-green leaves, amongst which it is very difficult to be detected. Very few are to be seen in summer-time.”
Featuring all 422 illustrated species from John Gould’s A Monograph of the Trochilidæ, or Family of Humming-Birds arranged by color.
Humming-Birds
