liv INTRODUCTION. 



89. Lampornis AURULENTus . . . Vol. II. PI. 79. 



Habitat, St. Domingo. 



90. Lampornis virginalis, Gould Vol. II. PI. 80. 



Crown and all the upper surface bronzy green ; wings light purplish brown ; throat shining greenish wax- 

 yellow ; chest and centre of the abdomen black, passing into green on the flanks ; upper tail-coverts brilliant 

 bronzy green ; two centre tail-feathers rich bronze, the remainder fine purple, margined and tipped with bluish 

 black ; bill black ; feet dark brown. 



Total length 4^ inches ; bill ||- ; wing 2f ; tail l^ ; tarsi i. 



Habitat. The Island of St. Thomas. 



If I have led my friend, Alfred Newton, Esq., into an error, by causing him to state that the St. Thomas bird 

 is identical with the Lampornis aurulentus, it was quite unintentional on my part. Since we made an examination 

 and comparison of specimens of L. aurulentus from St. Domingo, with those, which we believed to be identical, from 

 St. Thomas, I have received numerous other examples from the latter island, a careful consideration of which 

 induces me to regard them as distinct ; and as such, I have described them under the name of Lampornis virginalis. 

 The difference between this new species and L, aurulentus is very marked : it is of much smaller size, and has a 

 shorter, more square, and differently-coloured tail, the two centre-feathers being rich bronze instead of purpUsh 

 black; the throat-mark is richer; the upper tail-coverts are very much finer and more brilliant; and the bill is 

 shorter. 



91. Lampornis porphyrurus Vol. II. PI. 81. 



Anthracothoraao porphyrurus, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 8, pi. 794. figs. 4849-50. 



Lampornis porphyrura, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 19. 



Habitat. Jamaica. 



This species differs from all its allies in the female and the young male assimilating to the adult male in the 

 colour of the tail, which is quite contrary to what occurs in the females of the other species ; unlike them also, the 

 female of this species has a different and more beautiful gorget than the male. This is one of the anomalies which 

 cannot be explained, inasmuch as in structure, in size, and other characters it is a true Lampornis. 



The genus Eulampis now claims our attention. It is composed of four species, the distinguishing features of 

 which are their luminous upper tail-coverts. These broad and glittering feathers, resembling plates of shining 

 metal, have doubtless been designed for no special purpose connected with the habits of the bird, but for mere 

 ornament ; but such characters, trifling though they be, are of no little use in enabling us to group together nearly 

 aUied species. It will be recollected that in some genera— that of Hypuroptila for instance— the under and not the 

 upper tail- coverts are extraordinarily developed; and many other instances might be cited of a similar development 

 of other parts of the plumage, for which no other use but that of mere ornament can be conceived. The members 

 of this genus differ from most others in the perfect similarity in the colouring of the sexes. So far as I am aware, 

 they are all confined to the West Indian Islands. 



Genus Eulampis, Boie. 



92. Eulampis jugularis -...•..., Vol II PI 82 



Eulampis jugularis, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 17. 

 Habitat, The Islands of Nevis and Martinique. 



93. Eulampis holosericeus ••-....... . Vol II PI 83 



Anthracothorax holo,sericeus, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 9, pl.793. fio-. 4847. 



Trochilus atrigaster, "Shaw," Cabanis. 



Eulampis holosericea, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii, p, 17, 



Habitat. Islands of Nevis ? and Martinique ? 



94. Eulampis chlorol^mus, Gould y^j jj pi g^ 



Anthracothorax chlorolaimus, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 9. 

 Eulampis chlorolaema, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 17, note. 

 Habitat. The Islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix. 



