Lophornis Reginæ
Lophornis Reginæ
Spangled Coquette
- 合集
- 古尔德蜂鸟图谱
- 绘者
- John Gould（约翰·古尔德）
- 年代
- 1852
- 图版号
- Pl. 122, Vol. III
- 原书页码
- p.122
- 授权
- CC0 1.0 Universal (Public domain)
十观
- 纵幅 1.35∶1
第一眼
江馆清秋，晨起看竹，烟光日影露气，皆浮动于疏枝密叶之间。
—— 清·郑板桥《题画竹》
郑板桥说他画竹，是先看见“烟光日影露气”在枝叶间浮动，才动手。看画时找这一层空气，比记住花的名字更要紧。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
图上只标属名 Lophornis，未定种；这一时期的图谱常以一属数种合绘，种名要等后来的专著补齐。此幅尚无通行中文名，姑以学名相称；在没有本地名字的地方，学名就是它唯一的身份证。
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。颜色不是平涂的：最浅处近乎纸色，最深处在花瓣重叠的缝里。把这两处找到，画面的呼吸就出来了。
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。全幅只画一只，不作解剖附图——这类图更近于“观赏”，而非“鉴定”。试着用拇指遮住空白处——画面立刻变闷；放开，它才重新“喘上气”。留白，是给主体让出的气口。
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。拿放大镜（或手机微距）看三处：喙缘、覆羽、题名。线若连续不断，是刻的；色若越过轮廓半毫米，是手涂的。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
穿花蛱蝶深深见，点水蜻蜓款款飞。
—— 唐·杜甫《曲江二首》
中土无蜂鸟，然“穿花”之态，杜甫早已写过：贴着花心走，是采蜜者的共同姿态。把这一句放回画面：画面就是诗句的落点——诗先写气，画后写形，两者在此处接上了。
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。花语是给人与人的关系用的；植物自己只关心有没有传粉的虫。这两套语言，可以并行不悖。
时与地
热带美洲几乎全年可见，花期即其季节。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 1852 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。看叶的老嫩、花与果是否同在枝上，季节便八九不离十；看题名里藏着的地名，来路也猜得出七分。
书与人
《古尔德蜂鸟图谱》只署了约翰·古尔德一个人的名字。从画稿到成图要过好几双手：转刻的人求准，上色的人求快——快与准之间，就是各幅之间深浅不一的来历。
带走一双眼睛
把这三件事带走：先整体后细节；先线后色；先看画再翻书。任何一张老图版，都可以用这三条读。图谱的用意是“以备查考”，看久了却会忘记查考：1852 年的一个人，为一只鸟花了整整一天。
关于本图版
本图选自约翰·古尔德的《古尔德蜂鸟图谱》（Gould's Hummingbirds），原书 1849—1887 年间出版。原书题作“Lophornis Reginæ”，在分类体系中列于蜂鸟科（Trochilidae）。
该合集全编共 421 幅图版，此图为其中之一，图版编号 Pl. 122, Vol. III，对应原书第 122 页，版式为纵幅。扫描件取自公有领域原件，经高分辨率修复与色彩校正，可按原大放大查看线条与设色。
原书文字（英文 / 法文）
New Granada
As I had frequently been informed of the existence of a species of Lophornis with a crest, which, when outspread, resembled the tail of a Peacock, it was with no ordinary sensations of pleasure I first beheld the lovely little bird here depicted; specimens of which arrived in Europe for the first time in the year 1847, through the instrumentality of M. Linden of Brussels, who received it direct from his brother, at that time travelling in the province of Antioquia in Columbia.
Since that period several other examples have been received from the same source, and from the neighbouring countries; the native locality of this beautiful species is therefore placed beyond doubt.
The Lophornis Reginæ differs from every other known member of the genus in its large, round, and well-defined crest, each feather of which is surmounted by a ball-like, dark bronzy-green tip, which must render the bird a most conspicuous and pleasing object when the feathers are fully displayed.
The sexes exhibit the usual difference, the female being entirely destitute of the fine crest and rich colouring of the male.
I regret to add that no information has reached us respecting the habits and manners.
The male has the crown of the head and crest bright rusty red, each feather with a beautiful dark bronzygreen spot at the tip; lores, throat and sides of the neck luminous metallic green, beneath which is a patch of white lanceolate feathers; back of the neck and upper part of the back shining green; lower part of the back, rump, and upper tail-coverts bronzy brown; rump crossed by a narrow band of white; tail chestnutbrown, the tips and margins of the external feathers rich bronzy green; wings purplish brown; abdomen light metallic green; bill fleshy at the base, dark brown at the tip; feet brown.
The female has the forehead and crown deep buff; upper surface and wing-coverts bronzy green; lower part of the back dark or blackish brown, crossed by a band of white; wings purplish brown; tail buff, crossed towards the apex by a broad dusky semicircular band; throat dusky; under surface bronzy green.
The figures are of the natural size.
References
- Lophorms Reginæ, Gould in Proce. of Zool. Soc., part xv. p. 95.
- Mellisuga reginæ, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 113, Mellisuga, sp. 92.
- Lophornis reginae, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 84, Lophornis, sp. 8.
- Lophornis regine, Ib. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 257.
- Bellatrix Reginae, Reichenb. Aufz. der Colibris, p. 12.
