Hypuroptila Melanorrhoa (Bronze-tailed plumeleteer).

From A Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Humming-Birds, 6 vols., large folio. Published in London, 1849–1887. Printed by Hullmandel and Walter from drawings by J. Gould, H. C. Richter, and William Hart, lithographed by the artists.

The Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer is shown with its deep green plumage, contrasting white undertail coverts, and a metallic bronze tail that gleams with subtle iridescence. Depicted poised among tropical foliage, the bird’s form is elegantly balanced, with Gould’s composition emphasizing both the delicacy and vigor of its flight. Each print from the Trochilidae series was hand-colored with great care, often using metallic pigments to replicate the sheen of real feathers—a hallmark of Gould’s hummingbird plates.

John Gould’s Monograph of the Trochilidae remains a landmark of nineteenth-century natural history publishing. The project spanned nearly four decades and drew on specimens gathered from across the Americas. Assisted by accomplished artists Henry Constantine Richter and William Hart, Gould created a series that united scientific precision with artistic refinement. His hummingbirds, rendered life-size in vivid color and set within lush botanical surroundings, continue to be celebrated as masterpieces of ornithological