Humming-Birds

A single specimen (apparently an adult male) of this bird graces the collection in the Museum of the Jardin des Plantes, at Paris.

This individual was, I believe, brought to Europe by M. D’Orbigny, and was procured either in Peru or Bolivia. The Eriocnemis D’Orbignyi differs from all the other species of the genus I have yet seen, in the possession of a blue frontlet; in size it is very similar to E. vestita, from which, however, as well as from all the others, it differs in several well-marked specific particulars.

The unique specimen contained in the Paris Museum serves to show how little acquainted we are with the Humming-Birds of the countries to the southward of Ecuador. That both Peru and Bolivia possess many species as yet unknown, there seems to be but little doubt.

The following is a description of this bird taken from the Paris specimen:—

Forehead violet blue; all the upper surface uniform bronzy grass-green; throat and under surface glittering golden green, inclining to blue on the centre of the throat and chest; tail steel or bluish black.

The figures are of the size of life. The plant is the Howardia Caracasensis.

References

Trochilus D’Orbignyi, Bourc. et Muls. in Ann. Soc. Sci. de Lyon, 1846, p. 315.
Phemonoë D’Orbignyi, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col., p. 9.
Eriocnems D’Orbignyi, Reichenb. Troch. Enum., p. 6, pl. 741. fig. 4697.
Eriocnemys orbignyi, Bonap. in Rey. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 252.
Hylocharis D’Orbignyi, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 114, Hylocharis, sp. 10.

Eriocnemis D’Orbignyi

References

More hummingbirds in the genus Eriocnemis

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