宝石蜂鸟属·Lampornis Prevosti

Guatemala and Honduras

Lesson, in his “Histoire Naturelle des Colibris,” has given the figure of a female Lampornis under the name of Trochilus Prevost, which would answer equally well for the female of L. Mango, L. Veraguensis, or L. gramineus. It would appear that the male was unknown to him, but specimens have since been received from the same locality—Central America, which the Parisian collectors state to be the males of this species, and I have no doubt they are correct.

My figure of the male on the accompanying Plate was taken from a fine specimen in my own collection, received by me with many others of both sexes from Honduras, which country, together with the adjacent one of Guatemala, is the true habitat of the species. Its most near ally is the L. Mango, from which it differs in its rather smaller size, in the much less extent of black on the throat, and in the sides of the neck being glittering green instead of blue. As might be supposed, the females of such nearly allied species assimilate most closely; if any difference occurs, the female of the L. Prevost: is the most beautiful as regards the markings of the tail.

The male has the head and all the upper surface, wing-coverts, sides of the neck, flanks and abdomen rich golden green; throat velvety black, bordered on each side with glittering green; centre of the abdomen bluish green; vent and a tuft on each flank white; wings purplish brown; upper tail-coverts and two central tail-feathers coppery bronze; lateral tail-feathers fine purple; under tail-coverts purple, spotted with green.

The female has the upper and under surface dull golden green, interrupted down the throat and abdomen by an irregular mark of black, bounded on each side by a similar one of white; vent white; under tailcoverts light green, edged with white; two centre tail-feathers bronzy green; lateral feathers purple at the base, crossed by a steel-blue band near their extremities, and tipped with white.

The figures on the Plate are the size of life. The plant is the Lacepedea insignis.

References

• Trochilus Prevostu, Less. Hist. Nat. des Col., p. 87. pl. 24.—Ib., Ind. Gen. et Syn. des Ois. du Gen. Trochilus, p. xij.—Boure. et Muls. Ann. de la Soe. Sci. de Lyon, 1843, p. 99.
• Polytmus Prevosti, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 108, Polytmus, sp. 15.
• Lampornis prevosti, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 72, Lampornis, sp. 6.—Ib. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 250.
• Anthracothorax Prevost, Reichenb. Aufz. der Colibris, p. 11.