AMAZILIA CYAN!
AMAZILIA CYANURA, Gould.
Blue-tailed Amazili.
All that is known respecting this Humming-bird is, that examples were collected by Captain Sir Edward
Belcher, R.N., at Realejo in Nicaragua, and subsequently presented to the Zoological Society of London in
the year 1839. On the dispersion of the Society’s collection they passed into my possession.
The Amazilia cyanura is about the size of A. Dumerili, to which species it is very nearly allied, but from
which it differs in the blue colouring of its tail and upper and under tail-coverts, as indeed it does in this
respect from all the other members of the genus. Now that the bird is figured, and the attention of
collectors called to the subject, I doubt not that the Museums of Europe will soon be supplied with
specimens; for myself, I shall hail the arrival of additional examples with pleasure, for it is a fine little bird.
It is doubtless common on the Pacific side of Nicaragua generally, and I should say will most certainly be
found at Realejo. The two examples I possess are precisely alike in colour.
Head, all the upper surface and wing-coverts dark bronzy green, passing into coppery bronze on the
lower part of the back; wings purplish brown; the base of the primaries and secondaries both above and
beneath chestnut-red ; under surface shining grass-green; upper and under tail-coverts and tail dark steel-
blue, the under coverts fringed with grey; thighs white. •
Total length 3y inches; bill -J-; wing 24-; tail 14-.
In the accompanying Plate the bird is figured of the size of life. The plant is the Arbutus mollis.