Object Status:
Extant
Accession Date:
By 1799
Primary Source Reference:
Charles Willson Peale, Lecture on Natural History 20. (ca. 1799). Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Archives, coll. 40. / https://ansp.org/research/library/archives/0000-0099/coll0040/
Additional Source Text:
Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827) wrote, in his 20th Lecture (ca. 1799): "432. Green crested Humming bird. The length of this bird is 3 Inches; Bill black, less than 2/4 of an Inch; under the Bill is a dirty white spot; the top of the head is green, ending in a blue crest; both shining with the lustre of the finest polished metal; the upper parts of the body dark gold green; the under parts of sooty colour; the tail violet black; but the 2 middle feathers are of the same colour with the back; all the tail feathers are the most glossy on the under side; the leggs are covered with brown feathers; toes black. Trochilus cristatus Linn. Oiseau-mouche huppé de Cayenne Buff. pl. enl. 227. f. 1. Crested Green Humming Bird Lath. Crested Humming Bird Edwards No. 37. Inhabits Cayenne. Labat observes that the female has no crest." (Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Archives, coll. 40)
Peale wrote, in "A Walk Through the Philad[elphi]a Museum" (1805–1806): "Here is the brilliant green crested; the beautiful purple & green, with the forked tail; and the little tufted neck, so singular that we scarcely know which to admire most." (Historical Society of Pennsylvania, coll. 0481)
Specimen Type:
Dead/preserved
Current Common Name:
Antillean Crested Hummingbird
Current Scientific Name
Trochilidae | Orthorhyncus cristatus
