CHLOROPHONIA OCCTPITALTS.
P l a t e X L I I .
CHLOROPHONIA OCCIPI ÏALIS.
(THE BLUE-CEOWKED CHLOEOPHONE).
Euphonia occipitalis
Chlorophonia occipitalis
D u Bus. Esq. Orn, 1 . 14. g (1847).
Bp. Cousp. I . p. 233.
Scl. C o n tr. Oru. 1S51, p. 90.
Bp. Eev. Zool. 1851, p. 138, e t N o te su r les Tang. p. 12.
„ „ . . Cass. E ep . TJ. S. N. Astr. Exp. ii, p. 1S2, t. 20, f. 2.
Scl. P.Z.S. 1836, p. 270 ; 1857, p. 205 ; 1859, p. 304 ;
e t Cat. Am. Birds, p. 55.
. . Scl. & Salv. Ib is, 1859, p. 17.
Clarè viridis, occipite e t lineâ cervicali u trin q u e coeruleis ; to rq u e pecto rali obscure castau eà ; abdomine medio flavo :
ro stro nigricanti-plumbeo, p edibus co ry lin is: long, to ta 5 0 . alæ 3 '1 , caudæ l ’8.— Fcem. to rq u e p e ctorali n u llo :
abdomiue medio flavicante.
S a b . in Mexico Meridionali e t Guatemala.
This is the most northern representative o f the genus Chlorophonia, and one o f the finest
and largest members o f the group. It was originally characterized by the Vicomtc Du Hus
in his “ Esquisses Oruithologiques,” fi-om a female specimen stated to have been received from
Mexico. The male was first described by Sclater, in the “ Contributions to Ornithology” for
1851, from a specimen in the British Museum obtained by Delattre probably in the vicinity of
Co ban in Vera Paz.
Recent collectors in the Soutliem States o f Mexico have made this bird better known to
us, both M. Salle and M. de Oca having obtained specimens in the vicinity o f Jalapa. In
Guatemala Salvin met with it iu tolerable abundance near Coban, where it resorts to the
patches o f forest left among the clearings. Like the rest o f the typical Tanagers it is a
fruit-eater, and in this district may be always found during tbe months o f November and
December in the branches o f such trees as bear fruit at this season. It is also a favourite cage-
bird in Guatemala, its shoAvy'^ plumage rendering it atfractive, though it has no power o f song.
Skins obtamcd by Salvin fully agTee Avith Mexican specimens, so that Sclater’s conjecture,
(Ibis, 1859, p. 232) that the Guatemalan bird might turn out to be C. eyanodorsalis, proves to
be incorrect. Indeed, we have never yet met witli an example o f the latter bird, aud
think it probable that the locality o f “ Guatemala” has been erroneously assigned to it.