Phaëthornis hispidus

Bolivia

The present elegant and well-defined species is a native of Bolivia, whence it was brought to this country by Mr. Bridges, who, to my regret, was unable to give me any account of its habits or economy, the shortness of his stay in the district in which it was procured, having prevented him from devoting any time to their investigation: they are doubtless very similar to those of the other Phaëthorni.

The grey colouring of its under surface, with a crescent of brown near the tip of each feather, renders it conspicuously different from every other member of the genus; the largely developed hair-like buffy grey tail-coverts also constitute a character which does not occur in any other species.

All the upper surface bronzy brown; ear-coverts dark brown, bordered above and below with a line of buff; under surface brownish grey, with broad stripes of white down the throat; those of the chest with a crescentic mark of brown near the tip; tail greenish brown; the lateral feathers slightly, and the central ones largely tipped with white; wings brown; bill black, except the basal half of the lower mandible which is straw-colour.

The figures in the accompanying Plate are of the natural size; and, as they are accurate representations of nature, will give a better idea of the bird than any written description, however accurate.

The plant is the Saurawa spectabilis.

References

• Trochilus (———?) hispidus, Gould in Proe. of Zool. Soc., Part XIV. p. 90.
• Phætornis hispidus, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 104, Phetornis, sp. 14.
• Phaëtornis hispidus, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 68, Phaëtornis, sp. 14.