112 



THE BLUE-FRONTED HUMMING-BIRD. 



Trochilus glaucopis. GMELIN. 



Trochilus glaucopis, Gmeli^ edition ofLinnaus The Blue 

 Fronted Humming- BiroV Trochilus frontalis, Latham, 

 General History, vol. iv. p. 352 Oiseau-mouche glau- 

 cope, Lesson, Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux-mouches, 

 p. 175, Pis. Iviii-lix. 



The forehead of this species is of a rich metallic 

 blue, with violet reflections ; the upper parts of the 

 body are of a rather dull green, hut which, accord- 

 ing to Dr Latham, is darker in some specimens, and 

 in others nearly of the same tint with the lower 

 parts. The lower parts are bright emerald green, with 

 the feathers on the throat and breast in the form of 

 scales ; the vent and under tail coverts are greyish 

 ' white ; the tail is deeply forked, the feathers com- 

 posing it broad, but graduated at the tips; the colour 

 is an intense steel blue* 



The only discrepancy between the description of 

 Lesson, who has figured both sexes, and that of Dr 

 Latham, is, that the latter describes the legs fea- 

 thered to the toes, the former has drawn them un- 

 plumed. 



The female wants the blue upon the crown, which 

 is of the same uniform green with the upper parts ; 

 the throat, breast, and belly, are of a dull grey, 

 dashed with green on the flanks, and the tail is 

 greenish above, with a blue tip. 



