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Cœligena typica

Cœligene

Pl. 255, Vol. IV · p.255 · 1854 · Gould's Hummingbirds · John Gould · 1849-1887

合集: 古尔德蜂鸟图谱
绘者: John Gould（约翰·古尔德）
年代: 1854
图版号: Pl. 255, Vol. IV
原书页码: p.255
授权: CC0 1.0 Universal (Public domain)

关于本图版

这幅图版出自《古尔德蜂鸟图谱》（Gould's Hummingbirds），由约翰·古尔德绘制，1849—1887 年间出版。图中描绘的是 Cœligena typica，归入蜂鸟科（Trochilidae）。

全编共收录 421 幅图版，本图是其中一幅，原书将其列为 Pl. 255, Vol. IV，见第 255 页，版式为纵幅。图为公有领域原件的修复扫描，构图与设色未经改动。

原书文字（英文 / 法文）

New Granada

Were not the numerous specimens of this bird, which we have of late years received, all perfectly alike, we might naturally suppose that they were birds clothed in an immature dress, or females of some species the males of which were not known; all the bright colour which occurs being on the lower part of the back, and consisting of a metallic lustre on the edges of the rump-feathers, which is only visible in certain lights; late discoveries, however, have made us acquainted with other species of this form, in which a similar style of plumage prevails, and we now find that there is a large group of these plainly-coloured birds, to which, therefore, a distinctive generic title has with propriety been given; all inhabit the great Andean ranges, and one or other of the species is found from the Isthmus of Panama to Bolivia.

It is not, however, on the bleak Sierras that these birds must be sought for, but on the first Steppes of the Andes, above the great plains which stretch away to the eastward. I have always considered the Bolivian bird to be different from the one here figured, and if this opinion be correct, the range of the latter will be more limited than it at present appears to be. I have seen specimens from Ecuador, Popayan, Quito, Quijos, Bogota, and the Caraccas, beyond which, in all probability, its range does not extend. Mr. Mark informs me that the Bogota specimens are collected in the hot districts of Gramalote, which lie to the eastward of that city, at an elevation of from one to two thousand feet.

I believe that there is little or no difference in the colouring of the sexes, and that the female can only be distinguished by her smaller size.

The head, neck, back and wing-coverts are bronzy crimson-brown, becoming brighter bronze on the lower part of the back and rump, the feathers of which parts are fringed with metallic grass-green, the brilliancy of which is most conspicuous when viewed from behind; wings purplish brown; upper tail-coverts rich reddish bronze; tail bronzy green; feathers of the throat grey with brown centres, giving that part a scaly appearance; flanks and abdomen purplish brown; under tail-coverts brownish green edged with buff.

The figures are the size of life.

References

Ornismya Cœligena, Less. Les Troch., p. 141. pl. 53.—Jard. Nat. Lib. Humming Birds, vol. 1. p. 93. pl. 4.
Mellisuga cœlgena, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 112, Mellisuga, sp. 15.
Caeligena typica, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 73, Caeligena, sp. 1.
Cœligena typica, Bonap. Consp. Troch. in Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 252.

十观

纵幅 1.57∶1
1854 年刊
图版 255, Vol. IV

这不是词条，是一条看画的次序：先站定看整体，再认名字、品形色、观构图与刀工——想动笔临它的人，刀工那一段替你标了该学什么；行至中途停下，听一句中国诗——同一朵花，古人是怎么看的；然后是花语、时与地、书与人；最后读一句古文，带走一双看画的眼。

第一眼

凡画山水，意在笔先。

—— 唐·王维《山水论》

下笔之前，心里已经有了整幅画。看画时可以反过来推：画家先定了什么，后添了什么。这一幅是竖的：眼睛从下往上走，落点在中段那只鸟身上。先别急着看羽毛，让姿态先立起来。第二步凑近一寸：看线与色的交界，色有没有压住线，线有没有断。第三步，把视线放到最深的那一小块：整幅的用色秩序，都是从那里排开的。
名与实

此幅未见可靠的学名，只能以原书题名相称——早期图谱里这种情形并不少见。此幅既无通行中文名，学名也不可靠，只能以原书题名相称——图谱里总有几幅这样的图，只能靠画面本身说话。
形与色

翼小而振频极高，能悬停、能倒飞；羽色非颜料所致，是羽枝结构折射的光，随角度而变。此幅未作色相归档，只能就形制论。看羽：先看覆羽的层次，再看飞羽的排列，最后才看颜色——颜色是最后才被注意到的部分。
构图与呼吸

画幅高而窄，鸟栖在枝的中段，上下留白多——十九世纪鸟谱的标准版式，留给它飞走的余地。（高宽比约 1.57∶1）全幅只画一只，不作解剖附图——这类图更近于“观赏”，而非“鉴定”。空白不是没画完，是给眼睛留的落脚处：一张图若四边都塞满，花反而会闷。
一刀一色

十九世纪后半叶，石版与彩色石印渐成主流：颜色可以直接印出，不再依赖手工，线条反倒退居其次。图像的“准确”提高了，手性却淡了。先判断它是“印”的还是“画”的，再谈好不好看——这是看老版画最实用的一条规矩。想动笔临它的人记住一句：先铺大块的形与色，干后再收细部；石印的柔和层次来自薄涂与网点，水彩分两三遍淡铺即可逼近。
诗境

夫列子御风而行，泠然善也，旬有五日而后反。

—— 《庄子·逍遥游》

蜂鸟悬停于空，不落不飞，最近于“御风”。庄子说的是一种自由的姿态，蜂鸟把它做成了生理事实。古人写到这一层，已不只是赏花，是借花说人；画面则只负责把那朵花留住。
花语

阿兹特克以蜂鸟为战神与太阳的化身；欧洲维多利亚时代则以蜂鸟为收藏与装饰的极致，百万只羽毛被做成胸饰。中国旧籍无此鸟，故无象征——这空白本身，就是一部博物学交流史。在图谱里，它首先是一个物种，其次才是一种象征——这个次序值得记住。
时与地

温带种类的蜂鸟则随花北迁，一年往返数千公里。仅产美洲，自阿拉斯加南部至火地岛，以安第斯山最为繁盛。中土无蜂鸟，汉籍不载，晚清海外游记始见其名。图上所记的 1854 年是刊行之年，不是采到那只鸟的年份；真正的观察记录通常比出版早一两年。《古尔德蜂鸟图谱》成于1849-1887；那一代人对这类鸟的知识，多半来自标本与笼养。看这一类图，不妨把产地和季节都当“据说”来读。
书与人

《古尔德蜂鸟图谱》（Gould's Hummingbirds）由约翰·古尔德绘，成于1849-1887。此幅为其中图版 255, Vol. IV，见原书第 255 页。一本书的“作者”常常是主编；真正决定这幅图好不好看的，是没留下名字的刻工与上色人。
文心

宁古无时，宁朴无巧，宁俭无俗。

—— 明·文震亨《长物志》

宁可古旧不要时新，宁可朴素不要机巧，宁可俭省不要俗气。这三句可以直接拿来判断一幅画、一件器物、一间屋子。古尔德《蜂鸟图谱》（1849—1887）以石版手工上色，金箔衬底，使羽色在纸上仍有金属光；这套图册本身就是十九世纪印刷与收藏狂热合流的产物。记住这一句，下次在别处见到同类，它会自己浮上来——鉴赏力就是这样一句一句攒出来的。