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Show 1870.] ON VENEZUELAN BIRDS. 787 53. OCHTHOECA NIGRITA, sp. nov. Cinerascenti-nigra, unicolor; superciliis albis: rostro et pedibus nigris: long, tota 5*2, alee 2*6, caudce 1*8. Hab. Merida (Goering). Obs. Habitus O. albidiematis et 0. citrinifrontis, sed corpore unicolori ab omnibus diversus. Mr. Goering sends a single skin of this new species, obtained near Merida. It is marked " male ; iris brown." The specimen is evidently a bird of the year. 76. LAFRESNAYA GAYI. Trochilus gayi, Bourc. et Muls. Ann. des Sc. Nat. de Lyon, 1846, p. 325. Lafresnaya saulae, Gould, Intr. Troch. p. 70. A single specimen of this Humming-bird, sent by Mr. Goering from Merida, has the tips of the otherwise white rectrices bronzy green, and not black as in the majority of Ecuadorean examples usually called L. gayi. Judging from Mr. Gould's remarks (Mon. Troch. t. 86, et Intr. p. 70), we much doubt if this slight distinction is sufficiently constant to render specific separation justifiable. But should such be the case, the species from Ecuador must bear the name of L. saulae, and the present bird that of L. gayi. De-lattre and Bourcier's type of Trochilus saulce (R. Z. 1846, p. 310) was obtained by the former in the environs of Quito. Though no locality is assigned to L. gayi, the description is strictly applicable to the present bird. Out of the thirteen species of Humming-birds collected by Mr. Goering in the vicinity of Merida, it will be observed that no less than five (viz. Lafresnaya gayi, Oxypogon lindeni, Bourcieria con-radi, Heliangelus spencii, and Panychlora stenura) are never met with in the large collections of these birds that are constantly being forwarded from the vicinity of Bogota. These five species therefore, together with others not yet obtained by Mr. Goering, must be considered peculiar denizens of this branch of the Andean chain ; the remainder (eight) of Mr. Goering's species being either of wide range or well-known members of the ordinary avifauna of New Granada, as illustrated by Bogota collections. 92. CONURUS RHODOCEPHALUS, sp. nov. Leete viridis: remigibus intus nigricantibus, extus ccerulescenti-bus ; pileo roseo-rubro: ventre medio et cauda tota rubiginoso-rufis : tectricibus subalaribus viridibus: rostro albicante: pedibus obscure cornels : long, tota 9, alee 5*2, caudee rectr. med. 4*5, ext. 2*6. Hab. Vicinity of Merida (Goering). Of this new Conurus Mr. Goering obtained two male specimens near Merida. One of these, described above, appears to indicate a species most nearly allied to C. roseifrons (Finsch, Papag. i. p. 534), but differing therefrom in the want of the red rump and brown |
