Cephalepis Loddigesi

Minas Geraes and other parts of eastern Brazil

The specific name of Loddigesi was given to this bird by myself in 1830, when characterizing a specimen said to have been sent from Rio Grande.

At this distance of time, my memory does not tell me how I became possessed of this fine bird, or what authority I had for the locality in which it was said to have been found; the specimens I have since received were collected, I believe, in Minas Geraes, but the only point that is certain respecting them is, that they came to me by way of Rio de Janeiro.

In dedicating this, the first Humming Bird I had the pleasure of describing, to Mr. George Loddiges, I was anxious to pay a just tribute of esteem to an old friend, and to one who was the first to take up the study of the Trochilidæ in a scientific manner. Had his valuable life been spared, no one would have been more delighted than himself with the many beautiful accessions to the group acquired during the last few years.

The Cephalepis Loddigesi differs in many particulars from the older known C. Delalandi, especially in its more lengthened bill, its violet-coloured crest, and the greater amount of white on the tips of the tailfeathers.

The female, on the other hand, offers so close a resemblance to that of C. Delalandi, as to be scarcely distinguishable.

The male has the forehead, crown, and shorter feathers of the crest shining lilaceous blue; lengthened crest-plume black; upper surface and wing-coverts bronzy green; wings purplish brown; central tailfeathers bronzy green, the remainder bronzy green at the base, passing into black near the extremity and tipped with white, the white increasing in extent as the feathers recede from the centre; behind the eye a small oval patch of white; chin, sides of the neck, flanks, vent, and under tail-coverts brownish grey; centre of the breast and abdomen very dark blue; bill brownish black.

The female has the whole of the upper surface bronzy green; a small patch of white behind the eye; under surface dull greyish brown; wings and tail as in the male.

The Plate represents both sexes of the size of life.

References

• Trochilus Loddigesii, Gould in Proce. of Comm. of Sei. and Corr. of Zool. Soc., part i. p. 12. —Less. Les Troch., p. 138. pl. 51.—Jard. Nat. Lib. Humming Birds, vol. u. p. 57. pl. 6.—Less. Ind. Gen. et Syn. du Gen. Trochilus, p. xxx.
• Trochilus opisthocomus, Licht. Ermann, Verz. von Thier. und Pflanz., p. 6. t. 2. fig. 3.
• Mellisuga Loddigesii, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 114, Mellisuga, sp. 100.
• Cephalepis loddigesi, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., Cephalepis, sp. 2.—Ib. Consp. Troch. in Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 256.