Specimens of the Trochilidse. 263 



of gi'eenish gloss, and the breast is slightly darker and the 

 blue more widely dispersed. Otherwise the specimens are 

 precisely alike. I have still another specimen, which dififers 

 again from all the others. In its back and tail it is like C. 

 delalandii ; the crest, however, is a dark silvery grey, incli- 

 ning to green on the long feathers of the occiput. The under- 

 parts are a bright metallic rich greenish blue, very difterent 

 from any thing I have ever seen among specimens of the 

 genus Cephalepis. It is extremely difficult to determine 

 whether these represent several distinct species of Cephalepis, 

 or whether my specimens, as well as the type of C beskii, are 

 merely different forms of variation occurring accidentally in 

 the plumage of individuals belonging to the C. delalandii. I 

 have never seen any varieties among specimens of C. loddigesi ; 

 but as this is still a very rare species, it may be that our ex- 

 amples have been too few to enable us to learn if individuals 

 of that species vary or not to any considerable extent. In 

 order to determine the value of these forms it will be neces- 

 sary to await the arrival of more specimens. 



Argytria meliphila. 



This is a Chlorostilbon, of the style called C. daphne by Bour- 

 cier, differing from its allies, such as C. atala and C. brevi- 

 caudata, chiefly by having a deeper wash of blue upon the 

 throat. It may be a matter of considerable doubt whether 

 this should be considered sufficient to warrant this form taking 

 a separate specific rank ; and besides this difference I find no 

 other by which Von Pelzeln^s bird may be distinguished. So 

 long as C. daphne remains as a species, the Argytria meliphila 

 must be placed as a synonym of it ; but it is most probable 

 that a large series of specimens would show a gradation be- 

 tween several of these little green Humming-birds, and neces- 

 sitate their being all classed as one species. Von Pelzeln^s 

 specimen was procured at BarceUos by Natterer. 



Argytria media. 



This is also a Chlorostilbon, and is a very young bird, with 

 but a few of the metallic feathers of the adult showing upon 

 the throat. From the fact that it is in such immature plu- 



