114 



SWAINSON S HUMMING-BIRD. 



a knowledge of them. The first that naturalist has 

 described under the title of 



SWAINSON'S HUMMING-BIRD. 



Trochilus Swainsonii LESSON. 



Le Swainson, Lesson, Histoire Naturelle des Oisseaux- 

 mouches, pi. 70. 



BEFORE describing this bird, we may remark that 

 Lesson has also applied the name of this distinguished 

 British ornithologist to another Humming-Bird, and 

 the only reason that we can see for retaining it to 

 both is, that the other, represented on our thirtieth 

 Plate, will belong to a separate group of this large fa- 

 mily, that of which T. hirsutus forms the type, and 

 which has been characterised by Swainson under 

 the name of Pcethornus, and by Boie under that of 

 Glands. 



It is rather a large species, being above four inches 

 in length ; the upper parts are of a uniform golden 

 green tint, while the throat and fore part of the neck 

 are clothed with feathers of the most brilliant emerald 

 green, and which shade into a duller tint upon the 

 flanks ; on the middle of the breast there is a patch 

 of velvety black ; the vent plumes are whitish. The 

 tail is deeply forked, and of a dull indigo blue. 



This species is described by Lesson from a single 

 specimen in the Parisian gallery. It was received 

 from Brazil. The other bird we alluded to may be 

 termed the 



