APHANTOCHROA CIRRHOCHLORIS. 



Sombre Humming^-Bird. 



TrocMlus eirrochloris, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. 2nde Edit., torn, xxiii. p. 430. lb. 



Ency. Meth. Orn., part ii. p. 560. 

 Ornismya simplex. Less. Hist. Nat. des Ois. Mou., p. 119. pi. 33. — lb. Hist. Nat. des Col., 



p. 111. — Supp. des Ois. Mou., pi. 6. 

 Polytmus eirrochloris, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 107, Polytmus, sp. 4. 

 Trochiliis campylostylus, Lieht. Verz. der Doubl., p. 14. 

 Campylopterus cirrhochloris, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 71, Campylopteriis, sp. 8. 



While the greater number of the Trochilidse are characterized by a splendid style of plumage, there are 

 others, as will be seen on reference to the present Plate, in which these features are wanting; to most 

 persons these sombre-coloured birds will be less pleasing than their more gaily attired congeners, but 

 they are equally interesting in the eyes of the naturalist. In its general structure, this simply attired 

 bird, which I believe is never adorned with any luminous colouring, offers a considerable alliance to the 

 Campylopteri \ but as the peculiar dilatation of the shafts of the outer primaries is entirely absent, I have 

 separated it from a group of which I formerly considered it a member, and have made it the type of a new 

 gen us — Aphantochroa. 



I have received numerous examples from various parts of Brazil, Pernambuco, Bahia, and the neighbour- 

 hood of Rio de Janeiro, where Mr. Reeves states it is very common, and where it evinces a great predilection 

 for the flowers of the Banana. 



As I have not been able satisfactorily to distinguish the one sex from the other, I am led to believe that 

 they do not differ externally. 



Head and all the upper surface dark grass-green ; wings purplish brown ; tail dark purple-brown, glossed 

 with bronze, especially on the two central feathers ; throat and breast grey, glossed with green ; abdomen 

 greyish brown, crossed just above the vent by a band of white ; bill black ; feet olive-yellow. 



In some specimens the upper surface is bronzy green; the tail of a darker purple, and the under surface 

 of an olive-green, instead of grey glossed with green. 



The figures are of the natural size. 



