The discovery of the male bird of this splendid species, for the loan of which we have been indebted to Messrs. Salvin and Godman, has afforded a good opportunity of figuring it.
The female has already been figured in the fourth volume of the present work, while the male has remained unknown until quite recently.
The original specimens of this Humming-bird were obtained by the well-known traveller Warszewicz, in Bolivia, on the eastern slopes of the Andes, at Illimani and Sorata; but Mr. Buckley does not appear to have met with it during his expedition to Bolivia. We notice that Dr. Taczanowski has adopted the specific name of warszewicsi for this bird; but we believe that the title of aurora was really published first, as it certainly appeared in April of the year 1853, whereas Prof. Reichenbach did not publish his name until the end of the same year, The latter appeared in the ‘ Extra-Heft’ of the ‘Journal für Ornithologie,’ which was in all probability not issued to the public before the year 1854.
M. Stolzmanu met with the present species in Peru at Cutervo, at an altitude of 9600 to 9700 feet. An adult male procured by Jelski between Shanyn and Tambillo is in the collection of Dr. Raimondi. According to M. Stolzmann, it is a bird of very swift movements, only stopping for an instant in shady places.
The Plate represents a male bird of the size of life, the figures being drawn from a beautiful specimen lent to us by Messrs. Salvin and Godman.
[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
