Yarrell’s Wood-star
Western Peru, eats the neighbourhood of Ari
Several undescribed species of Humming-Birds in the collection of the late Mr. Loddiges, at Hackney, having been submitted to M. Bourcier during one of his recent visits to this country, that gentleman took the opportunity of complimenting several naturalists by giving their names to some of these new species: one of the most interesting of them he called Yarrellii, in honour of William Yarrell, Esq., so well known as one of the truest friends of natural history, and so celebrated for his valuable works on British Fishes, British Birds, &c.
That the compliment in this instance, at least, is a just and well-deserved one, will be admitted by all who take an interest in natural science, but especially by those who, like myself, are honoured by his friendship; a happiness I have now enjoyed for upwards of twenty years: it affords me therefore peculiar pleasure to perpetuate it in the present work.
The figures in the accompanying Plate were not taken from the specimens in the Loddigesian collection, but from others lately received from Arica on the west coast of South America by M. Bourcier, to whom I am indebted for the loan of them. It is scarcely necessary for me to say that this is a species of the greatest rarity; and I am sure every one will admit that it is a bird of considerable beauty, and singularly interesting on account of its peculiarly formed tail; a peculiarity which no doubt influences its actions and mode of flight.
I believe the true habitat of this singular bird will be the southern parts of Peru and Bolivia, and that it will be limited to the districts lying between the mountain ranges and the sea.
The male has the crown of the head, all the upper surface, flanks, and four centre tail-feathers light yellowish green; chest, centre of the abdomen and under tail-coverts greyish white; on the throat a gorget of purplish-blue with lilac reflexions, the blue tint predominating in the centre; wing greyish brown; lateral tail-feathers dark brown; bill and feet blackish brown.
The female differs, in being destitute of the gorget; in having the lateral tail-feathers grey at the base, black in the centre, and white at the apex: in other respects she resembles her mate.
The Plate represents two males and a female on the Opuntia Salmiana, of the natural size.
Featuring all 422 illustrated species from John Gould’s A Monograph of the Trochilidæ, or Family of Humming-Birds arranged by color.
Humming-Birds
