EULAMPIS CHLOROLJ1MUS, Gouid.
Grass-green-breasted Carib.
Eulampis chloroleemus, Gould, MSS. 1851.
Sericote8 chlorolaimus, Reichenb. Aufz. der Colibris, p. 11.
Eulampis chloroleemus, Bonap. Rev. e t Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 250.
S ome Trochilidists rnight be in clin ed to doubt the specific value of this Caribbean Humming-bird, and to
regard it as a mere variety of the Eulampis holosericeus, but had they as many specimens as I have to examine
and form an opinion from, I believe they would come to the same conclusion as myself, and consider it to be
distinct. The principal difference between the E. chloroleemus and E. holosericeus consists in the former
having a deeper and less luminous green throat, and the blue patch on the breast dilated into a band of blue
extending across the cliest; the former is also a larger and stouter bird than the latter. These differences
are much more apparent in the mounted specimens in my collection, wliere at least six of each kind are
placed side by side in one of the cases.
Like the E. holosericeus, the present bird is an inhabitant of the Caribbean Islands, but of which, and how
many of them, no certain information bas been received, further than that a specimen, now in the British
Museum, was collected in the island of Nevis, by T. J. Cottle, Esq., who informs me that it inhabits the low
grounds of the island, and that it builds a round compact nest, and lays the usual two white eggs.
I have not failed to remark, while mounting my specimens of the genus, that their skins are particularly
thick and strong, even approaching the toughness and substance of leather in the E. jugularis.
Head, all the upper surface and wing-coverts reddish-green; wings purplish-brown; upper and under
tail-coverts largely developed and of a glittering blue, some of the feathers changing to green; tail black,
with steel-blue reflexions; chin, throat and chest grass-green ; across the breast a broad band of blue; flanks
and abdomen velvety-black; bill black ; feet blackish-brown.
The figures are of the size of life. The plant is the Stemonacanthus macrophyllus.