89. L a m p o r n i s a u r u l e n t u s . - • • • Vol. II. PI. 79.
Habitat. St. Domingo.
90. L a m p o r n i s v ir g in a l i s , Gould . . . . • • • • • • • • Vol. II. PI. 80.
Crown and all the upper surface bronzy gre en ; wings light purplish brown ; throat shining greenish waxyellow
; chest and centre o f the abdomen black, passing into green on the flanks; upper tail-coverts brilliant
bronzy green; two centre tail-feathers rich bronze, the remainder fine purple, margined and tipped with bluish
black; bill black; feet dark brown.
Total length 4 £ inches; bill -ff-; wing 2 f ; tail l l ; tarsi -f.
Habitat. The Island o f St. Thomas.
I f I have led my friend, Alfred Newton, Esq., into an error, by causing him to state that the St. Thomas bird
is identical with the Lampornis aurulentus, it was quite unintentional on my part. Since we made an examination
and comparison o f specimens o f L. aurulentus from St. Domingo, w ith those, which w e believed to be identical, from
St. Thomas, I have received numerous other examples from the latter island, a careful consideration o f which
induces me to regard them as distinct; and as such, I have described them under the name o f Lampornis virginalis.
The difference between this new species and L. aurulentus is very marked: it is o f much smaller size, and has a
shorter, more square, and differently-coloured tail, the two centre-feathers being rich bronze instead o f purplish
black; the throat-mark is richer; the upper tail-coverts are very much finer and more brilliant; and the bill is
shorter.
91. L a m p o r n i s p o r p h y r U r u s ...............................................................................................................................Vol. II. PI. 81.
Anthracothorax porphyrurus, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 8, pi. 794. figs. 4849-50.
Lampornis porphyrura, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 19.
Habitat. Jamaica.
This species differs from all its allies in the female and the young male assimilating to the adult male in the
colour o f the tail, which is quite contrary to what occurs in the females o f the other sp ecies; unlike them also, the
female o f this species has a different and more beautiful gorget than the male. This is one o f the anomalies which
cannot be explained, inasmuch as in structure, in size, and other characters it is a true Lampornis.
The genus Eulampis now claims our attention. I t is composed o f four species, the distinguishing features of
which are their luminous upper tail-coverts. These broad and glittering feathers, resembling plates o f shining
metal, have doubtless been designed for no special purpose connected with the habits o f the bird, but for mere
ornament; but such characters, trifling though they be, are o f no little use in enabling us to group together nearly
allied species. I t will be recollected that in some genera—that o f Hypuroptila for instance—the under and not the
upper tail-coverts are extraordinarily developed; and many other instances might be cited o f a similar development
of other parts o f the plumage, for which no other use but that o f mere ornament can be conceived. The members
o f this genus differ from most others in the perfect similarity in the colouring o f the sexes. So far as I am aware,
they are all confined to the West Indian Islands.
Genus E u l a m p i s , B o ie .
92. E u l a m p i s j u g u l a r i s . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vol. II. PI. 82.
Eulampis jugular is, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 17.
Habitat. The Islands o f Nevis and Martinique.
93. E u l a m p i s h o l o s e r ic e u s . . . . . . . . . . . . Vol. II. PI. 83.
Anthracothorax holosericeus, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 9, pl.793. fig. 4847.
Trochihis atrigaster, “ Shaw,” Cabanis.
Eulampis holosericea, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 17.
Habitat. Islands o f Nevis ? and Martinique ?
94. E u l a m p i s ch lo r o l a em u s , Gould . . . . . . . . . . . Vol. II. PI. 84.
Anthracothorax chlorolaimus, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 9.
Eulampis chlorolaema, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 17, note.
Habitat. The Islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix.
“ This bird,” says Mr. Edward Newton, speaking of the Humming-Birds of St. Thomas and St. Croix, “ breeds
from the end of March to the end of June. It is an easy matter to find its n e st; for on approaching within two
or three yards of where it is, the bird, if it is on, is sure to fly at you, and then retreating, remains suspended a few
seconds just above your head, when it darts off and perches on some dead twig, most likely on the very tree which
holds its nest. I t does not stay here long, but takes short flights into the air, returning to the same place and,
when there, showing its impatience by a continual flirting, or rather twitching, o f its wings. I f you then retire,
keeping your eye on the bird, it will presently dart straight on to its nest, leaving it, however, at the least movement
on your part. This species is not particular as to the tree on which it builds, as I have found nests on the
Silk-cotton, Mango, Manchioneel, and Avocado Pear ( Laurus persea, Linn.). They are placed on a horizontal branch,
from half an inch to two inches thick, and are composed o f cotton or the down o f a species o f Cactus, studded on
the outside with white Lichen or shreds o f bark, the whole structure measuring nearly two inches across, and built
at the height o f from about five to fifteen feet from the ground, sometimes concealed by leaves, at others on an
almost naked bough.”—Ibis, vol. i. p. 140.
Mr. Newton informs me that the yellow o f the base o f the bill and gape of this bird shows rather conspicuously.
95. E u l a m p i s l o n g ir o s t r i s , Gould.
In its size, general plumage, and style o f colouring, this bird is very similar to the E. chlorolamus; but the
much greater length and curvature o f its bill will, I am sure, satisfy the most sceptical that it is quite distinct. I
possess two examples o f this, both o f which are unfortunately in a very bad state o f plumage. One o f these was
presented to me by my valued friend Sigismund Rucker, Esq., the other I obtained on the Continent; I could gain
no information whatever as to its native locality. The average length o f the bill in E. chlorokemus is three-quarters
o f an inch, while that o f E. longirostris is nearly an inch and a quarter.
Habitat. Unknown.
There is scarcely a more isolated form in the family o f Trochilidaa than that for which the generic name of
La/resnaya was proposed by Bonaparte in honour o f the venerable Baron de Lafresnaye; and it gives me great
pleasure to assist in perpetuating the name o f a French nobleman, lately deceased, who devoted the leisure hours
o f a long life to the pleasing study o f natural history.
Strictly confined to the Andes, one o f the species is quite equatorial, the others fly several degrees further
north. The males are very boldly coloured, the brilliant green o f their throats and flanks being beautifully relieved
by the velvety black of the abdomen. The females have none o f these contrasted colours, their entire undersurface
being spangled with green on a white or a buff ground. The species known are very much alike except in
the colouring and markings of the tail,—one of them having the four outer feathers white tipped with purplish
black, while the same feathers in another are buff tipped with bronzy brown, and the tail o f the third is white
tipped with greenish bronze.
Genus L a f r e sn a y a , Bonap.
96. . . . . Vol. II. PL 85. L a f r e s n a y a f l a v i c a u d a t a .....................................................................................................................
Entima La/resnayi, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 51.
HaUtat. The high lands o f New Granada. Common at Bogota and Popayan; and probably in the northern
parts o f Ecuador.
. . . Vol. II. PL 86.
97. L a f r e s n a y a G a y i . • •
Entima Gayi, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 51.
Habitat. Ecuador and Peru.
98. L a f r e s n a y a S a u l <e .
Trochilus Saidce, Bourc. Rev. Zool. 1846, p. 309.
Cabthorax Saul«, Gray&Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. 1. p. 110, Cabthorax, sp.S.
Lafremaya Sanlx, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. tom. i.p. 68, Lafmmya, sp. 3.
------------ Saul, Reichenb. Aufz. derCol. p. 11.
Habitat. Unknown: supposed to be Popayan.