Humming-birds of Guatemala. 267 



Convolvulus trees. From that date the numbers rapidly increased 

 until the first week in October, when it became by far the 

 commonest species about Duefias. My first impression on seeing 

 this bird was that it remained in small numbers to breed in this 

 country ; but on observing the increasing numbers, I soon 

 relinquished the idea, though it was a natural one, as, at the 

 time of my observing the first bird, in a locality previously un- 

 visited, I was fully aware that Camj)ylopterus rufus, Thaumastura 

 henicura, and Cyanomyia cyanocephala were either building, or 

 sitting on their eggs. Another proof also that T. colubris was 

 not engaged, or about to engage, in domestic duties, was that 

 whereas the resident species in the month of October wore their 

 most brilliant plumage, that of T. colubris was tarnished and its 

 lustre gone. The species seems to be very universally distributed ; 

 I found it common at Coban, also at San Geronimo and the 

 plains of Salamii. Of my skins from Duenas the proportion of 

 males to females is as one to four, but those from Coban exactly 

 as one to one, 



16. LOPHORNIS HELENA. 



Coban, November 17th, 



It was interesting to find that the recollection of M. Dclattre's 

 visit to Coban was still cherished by the bird-collecting commu- 

 nity of that town. In fact he seems to have started the idea 

 of collecting, and ever since there have been persons there who 

 have handed down his original instructions in bird- skinning, so 

 that, from pi'eparing a few Quesals {Pharomacrus paradiseus), the 

 Cobaneros have become somewhat celebrated for having formed 

 the various collections which have from time to time been for- 

 warded to Europe from their neighbourhood. 



Mr, Gould, in his great work on Humming-birds, gives as a 

 locality for this species " Petinck^^ {Peten ?) in the Vera Paz. In 

 the vicinity of Coban itself it is not uncommon, though hardly to 

 be called numerous, and it is most probable that Vera Paz skins 

 have usually been forwarded from this latter place, I was greatly 

 delighted to find myself in the localities of this wonderful little 

 bird — a success I had hardly hoped for, and I made evei-y en- 

 deavour during my short stay both to see the bird in its living 

 state and to get specimens, 



VOL. II. u 



