Popelaire’s Thorn-tail (Gouldia Popelairi), John Gould Were it possible to visit the planets, in search of the hidden secrets of nature, one could scarcely expect to find a greater number of remarkable novelties, in the way of birds, than have been revealed by the more recent explorations among the great Andean ranges, of which the present bird is certainly not one of the least interesting. This illustration has been restored to its original vibrancy by enhancing colors and removing unwanted marks. A monograph of the Trochilidæ, or family of humming-birds was published between 1849 and 1887 by English ornithologist John Gould. This monumental work depicts and describes all the known species of hummingbirds at the time - comprising 418 lithographic plates and information on 537 species."