EULAMPIS HOLOSERICEUS. 



Green-breasted Carib. 



Trochilm Aolosericeiis, Linn. Syst. Nat., torn. i. p. 191.— lb. Gmel. Edit., torn. i. p. 491.— Lath. 



Ind. Orn., vol. i.p. 305.— Less. Hist. Nat. des Col., p. 76. pi. 20.— lb. Traits d'Orn., 



p. 291. — lb. Ind. Gen. et Syn. des Ois. dn gen. Trochibis, p. xi. — Dumont de St. 



Croix, Diet. Sci. Nat., torn. x. p. 50.— Drap. Diet. 'Class. d'Hist. Nat., torn. iv. 



p. 319. 

 Pohjtmiis Mexicamis, Briss. Orn., torn. iii. p. 676. pi. xxxv. fig. 2.— Id., 8vo, torn. ii. p. 22. 

 Black-hellied green Hiimmiyig-Urd, Edw. Nat. Hist, of Birds, vol. i. pi. 36. fig. 1.— Lath. Gen. 



Syn., vol. ii. p. 754.— Shaw, Gen. ZooL, vol. viii. p. 307.— Lath. Gen. Hist , vol. iv. 



p. 313. 

 TrocMlits aurigaste}% Shaw. 



Le Colibri vert et noir, Buff. Hist. Nat. des Ois., torn. vi. p. 53. 

 Le vert et noir, And. et Vieill. Ois. dor., torn. i. p. 19. pi. 6. 

 Le Colibri a ventre noir, And. et Vieill. Ois. dor., torn. i. p. 119. pi. 65. 

 Black-bellied American Humming-bird, Bancr. Hist, of Guiana, p. 169. 

 Polytmtts holosericeus, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 108, Polytmns, sp. 14. 

 Eulampis holosericeus, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 72, Eulampis, sp. 2. — lb. Rev. et Mag. de 



Zool. 1854, p. 250. 

 Sericotes Jiolosericeus, Reich. Aufz. der Col., p. 11. 



*'This Humming-bird," says M. Lesson, ''so well characterized and so beautiful, lives exclusively in the 

 islands of the Antilles, and is never found in Mexico. The numerous examples we have examined in the 

 collections of M. Florent Prevost, and in that of the Museum of Paris, were procured in the islands of 

 St. Thomas and Porto Rico, whence they were sent by Mauge, and also from Martinique. These localities 

 justify the name of Caribs which we have conventionally assigned to the birds of this form." To these 

 observations of M. Lesson, I have unfortunately nothing to add, except that I quite agree with him in 

 believing the bird to be strictly confined to the Caribbean Islands, and that it neither inhabits Mexico nor 

 any other part of the American continent. 



In its general structure, and especially in the form of its wings and tail, it is closely allied to the more 

 beantiful Eulampis jugnlarts \ the disposition of its colouring, too, is very similar, although in some parts of 

 a different hue; in the luminosity of the wings, however, \\\^ jugularis stands alone, differing as it does 

 not only from this, but from every other species. 



The perfect similarity in the colouring of the sexes renders the members of this little genus very 

 conspicuous among the TrochHid(S, 



Head, all the upper surface and wing-coverts reddish-green ; wings purplish-brown ; upper and under 

 tail-coverts largely developed and of a glittering blue, some of the feathers changing to green ; tail black, 

 with steel-blue reflexions ; chin, throat and breast golden grass-green ; on the centre of the chest a patch 

 of shining blue ; flanks and abdomen velvety-black ; bill black ; feet blackish-brown. 



The figures are the size of life. The plant is the Pachystigma Pteleo'ides. 



