Gouldia Conversi

From Bogota along the Andes to Popayan; and Ecuador, from which latter country I have a single specimen.

This species has many characters in common with its Brazilian prototype Gouldia Langsdorffi, but may be distinguished by the smaller size of its body, by its longer wings, by the absence of the scarlet band on the breast, and by the tuft of elongated greenish feathers which spring from the centre of the chest and supply its place as a decoration; the colours of the crown and throat are less brilliant and glittering; and another peculiarity is also observable, namely, that when the tail is closed the lengthened lateral feathers cross each other near the tip, assume an inward curvature, and nearly meet again at the point.

The temperate regions of the Andes from Bogota to Popayan is the native country of this rare species. It is named, says M. Bourcier, who first described it, after its discoverer, M. Convers, a French naturalist established at Bogota. Nothing has yet been recorded of its habits and economy.

The female has a larger tail than the female of its near ally, but in other respects is very similar.

The male has the head, face and throat shining grass-green; upper and under surface, wing-coverts, upper and under tail-coverts dark green; across the rump a band of white spreading into a large patch on the flanks; beyond this the rump has a deep chestnut tinge; wings purplish brown; thighs and legs black, blotched with greyish; upper surface of the tail-feathers steel-bluish black at the base, a stripe down the centre and the apical portions brown; under surface of the tail steely green with white shafts.

The female has the upper and under surface dark green, deepening into bronze on the rump, across which is a band of white as in the male; throat dull green, with an obscure mark of white on each side from the angle of the mouth; tail-feathers grey at the base, passing into steel-blue towards the extremity and tipped with white, the white increasing in extent on the lateral feathers; thighs as in the male.

The figures represent both sexes of the natural size.

References

• Trochilus Conversii, Boure. et Muls. Rev. Zool. 1846, p. 314. pl. 3.—Ib. Ann. Sci. Phys. &c. de Lyon, tom. ix. p. 313.
• Mellisuga Conversii, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 118, Mellisuga, sp. 69.
• Gouldia conversi, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 86, Gouldia, sp. 3.—Ib. Consp. Troch. in Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 257.