LAMPORNIS GRAMINEUS .
Green-throated Mango.
Trochilm graminem, Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 488.—Ib. Gmel. Edit., tom. i. p. 488—
Dumont, Dict. Sei. N at., tom. x. p. 48— Drapiez, Dict. Class. d’Hist. Nat., tom. iv.
p. 318.—Less. Hist. Nat. des Col., pp. 52, 56. pis. 12, 12 bis.—Ib. Ind. Gen. et
Syn. des Ois. du Gen. Trochilm, p. x.—Ib. Traité d’Om., p. 290. Vieill. Ois.
de 1’Am. Sept., tom. ii. p. 73.
s— pectoralis, Latb. Ind. Om., vol. i. p. 306— Vieill. Ency. Métb. Om., part ii. p. 551.
—Steph. Cont. Shaw’s Gen Zool., vol. xiv. p. 240.
Le Hamm-eol vert, Buff. Hist. Nat. des Ois., tom. vi. p. 58— Vieill. Ois. Dor., tom. i. p. 23. pl. 9.
Le Colibri « crmate verte, Vieill. Ois. Dor., tom. i. p. 25. pl. 10.— Buff. Hist. Nat. des Ois.
tom. vi. p. 56.—Ib. Sonn. Edit., tom. xxii. p. 277.—Ib. Pl. Enl. 621. fig. 1.
Le Plastron violet, Vieill. Ois. Dor., tom. i. p. 124. pl. 70 ?
Colibri a fforge verte de Cayenne, Buff. Pl. Enl. 671. fig. 1.
Colibri du Mexique, Buff. Pl. Enl. 580. fig. 2.
Trochilm maculatm, Gmel. Edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 488.—Vieill. Ency. Méth. Om.,
part ii. p. 563.
— gularis, Gmel. Edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 491.—Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 306.
—Vieill. Ency. Méth. Om., part ii. p. 553.
— marmoratus, Vieill. Ency. Méth. Om., part ii. p. 567.
Polytmus dominicus, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 108, Polytmus, sp. 11. Bonap.
Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 250.
Lampornis dominicus, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 71,-Lampornis, sp. 2.
Hypopliania dominica, Reichenb. Aufz. der Colibris, p. 11.
Green-throated Humming-hird, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. ii. p. 755.—Ib. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 305.
Black-breasted Humming-hird, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. ii. p. 756.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii.
p. 298.—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 302.
So much confusion exists respecting the synonymy of this species, that, after instituting the most rigid
examination, I am compelled to give up the attempt to unravel it, and content myself with enumerating those
terms only which, it appears to me, certainly have reference to the present bird. The state of confusion
alluded to is due to two causes : first, from Lesson and the older authors considering the species to be a
native of St. Domingo, and, secondly, in consequence of the females of two or three species hearing a great
similarity to each other. Now I can positively state that the bird does not inhabit St. Domingo; nor do I
believe it is to be found in any of the West India Islands, unless it be in Trinidad, and if so, that is the only
one. lts true habitat is Cayenne and Guiana, whence all our collections are supplied with examples, and
where it must be very numerous, as shown hy the great number of specimens sent to Europe from those
countries.
The Lampornis gramineus is a large species, distinguished by the bolduess and breadth of its markings ; it
differs from all the other members of its genus in the grass-green of its throat, a colour beautifully relieved
by the jet-black hue of its breast and abdomen. The females and young males present a very different style
of colouring from that of the male, both on the under surface and in the markings of the tail, which are very
beautiful.
The male has the head and neck golden green, gradually passing into rich coppery green on the back,
wing-coverts and upper tail-coverts; wings deep purplish brown; throat luminous grass-green ; flanks golden
green, with a tuft of white on each side; centre of the abdomen bluish black; in certain lights the entire
abdomen and flanks appear jet-black ; two centre tail-feathers bronzy purple, the remainder violet, broadly
margined and tipped with steel-blue; vent white ; under tail-coverts purplish green.
The young male has the upper surface mottled green and coppery bronze; sides of the throat and abdomen
chestnut; on the centre of the throat a mark of luminous green, bounded on each side by white; down
the centre of the abdomen a mark of black, bounded on each side with white; two centre tail-feathers bronzy
green; the remainder chestnut-red with a rich bloom of purple; crossed near the tip by a broad band, which
on the outer webs is bronzy green, on the inner steel-blue; all but the two middle feathers tipped with greyish
white.
The female has all the upper surface and flanks golden green, the golden hue predominating on the rump
and upper tail-coverts; throat white, with a large patch of black down the centre; central tail-feathers bronzy
green, passing into black at the tip; the remainder chestnut-red, glossed with purple, crossed near the tip
by a broad band of bluish black and tipped with white.
The figures are of the size of life. The plant is the Allosorus ftexuosus.