Genus Heliangelus Gould

Generic characters.

Male.—Bill straight, about the same length as the head, and cylindrical; wings somewhat powerful; tail rather round in form and of medium size; feet moderately strong; hind toe and nail the same length as the middle toe and nail; gorget luminous, bounded below by a crescent of white.

Female.—Destitute of luminous colouring.

This is perhaps a better-defined genus than any other of those into which the Andean groups of HummingBirds have been divided. Its characteristics are a moderately long bill surmounted by a band of lustrous colour on the forehead, and a deep luminous gorget separated from the general colour of the body by a semicircular band of white. Like the Heliantheæ and Heliotryphæ, the species of this form range along the Andes on both sides of the equator.

• 267.

  Heliangelus Clarissæ

  Habitat: The high lands of New Granada. Plentiful in collections from Bogota.

  Plate 242 Heliangelus Clarissæ Sun Angel

  • Trochilus Clarissa, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 10.
  • Heliangelus Clarissæ, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 75.
  • Anactoria Libussa, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. p.12; Id. Troch. Enum. p. 10.
• 268.

  Heliangelus strophianus (Gould)

  Habitat: Ecuador

  Plate 243 Heliangelus strophianus Gorgeted Sun Angel

  • Trochilus Strophiana, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 10.
• 269.

  Heliangelus Spencei

  Habitat: The ranges of Sierra Nevada de Merida in New Granada

  Plate 244 Heliangelus Spencei Spence’s Sun Angel

  • Trochilus Spencei, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 10.
• 270.

  Heliangelus amethysticollis

  Habitat: Peru

  Plate 245 Heliangelus amethysticollis Amethystine Sun Angel

  • Trochilus amethysticollis, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 10.
• 271.

  Heliangelus Mavors (Gould)

  Habitat: The Paramos of Portachuela and Zumbador in New Granada

  Plate 246 Heliangelus Mavors Mars

  • Trochilus Mavors, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 10.

Supplemental

• Heliangelus micrastur Ecuadorian Star-frontlet