MANGO HUMMING-BIRD. 89 



The Polythmus Mexicanus and Polythmus Jamai- 

 censis of Brisson, both refer, without doubt, to the 

 present bird. It is le plastron noir of Buffon. 

 Whether Trochilus gramineus of St. Domingo, 

 which has been supposed to represent this species 

 in that sister island, is really any thing more than 

 a variety, I have no means of determining. My 

 valued friend Mr. Hill, in writing to me observes, 

 "Buffon makes his 'plastron noir' of Jamaica, com- 

 mon to Brazil and St. Domingo. The compensa- 

 tory bird in St. Domingo is much more green than 

 Jamaica specimens ; i. e., with a less disposition to 

 assume the violet and purple in the changes of 

 light, and with decidedly a less prevalence of what 

 Buffon designates the * beau noir veloute.' " 



I may add that both the birds alluded to have 

 been familiar to my friend, from personal observa- 

 tion in both islands. 



The appellation by which the Mango Humming- 

 bird is familiarly known to the negroes in the 

 colony, is that of " Doctor bird," which, however, 

 is sometimes applied also to Polytmus. It is thus 

 explained by Mr. Hill : " In the old time, when 

 costume was more observed than now, the black 

 livery among the gayer and more brilliant Tro- 

 chilidae represented the Doctor. It might with 

 equal propriety have been the parson ; but parsons 

 were less known than doctors, in the old times of 

 the colony." 



Though occurring at all seasons, I have not 

 found the Mango abundant at any ; it is, indeed, 

 far less common than either Polytmus or Humilis. 



