cviii INTRODUCTION. 



are all very pretty, if not showy, species ; and one of them is among the oldest-known members of the entire 

 family, as will be seen on reference to the synonyms ; brilliant blue is the prevailing colour of the males, while the 

 opposite sex is but plainly attired. 



385. Hylocharts sapphirina ............ Vol. V. PI. 342. 



Trochilus sapphirimis Vieill. Ency. Meth. Orn. part ii, p. 570 ; Licht. Dubl. p. 14. 



• latirostris^ Wied, Beitr. iv. p. 64. 



Cynanthus sapphirinus, Jard. Nat. Lib. Humming-Birds, vol. ii. p. 147. 



Hylocharts latirostris, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. p. 19. 



Sapphironia sapphirina, Bonap. Rev. etMag. de Zool. 1854, p. 256. 



Hylocharis sapphirina, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 7, pi. 769. figs. 4780-82 ; Burm. Th. Bras. tom. ii. p. 346 ; Cab. 



et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 43. 

 Habitat, Brazil. 



This species arrives in the neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro in July, and departs again in November. I have 

 also seen specimens from Bahia, Para, and other parts on the Lower Amazon. 



386. Hylocharis lactea ............. Vol. V. PI. 343 



Trochilus sapphirinus, Wied, Beitr. iv. p. 61. 



lazulinus, Licht. in Mus. of Berlin. 



Hylocharis lactea, Cab.et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 43, note; Reich. Troch. Enum. p. 8, pi. 773, figs. 4788-91. 

 Habitat. Eastern and Northern Brazil. 



387. Hylocharis cyanea ............. Vol V PI 344 



Trochilus azureus, Licht. Dubl. p. 14. 



Hylocharis cyanea, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. p. 10 ; Id. Troch. Enum. p. 7, pi. 768. figs. 4777-79 ; Cab. et Hein. 

 Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 44. 



Ornismya bicolor, Less. Hist. Nat. des. Ois.-mou. p. 161, pi. 49, 50 ? ? Id. Traite d'Orn. p. 280 } } Id. Les Troch. 

 p. 58, pi. 16. ^^ 



Habitat. Eastern Brazil from Rio de Janeiro to Bahia, where it is stationary. 



Next to Hylocharis I place the two species of the 



Genus Sapphironia, Bonap. ; 



for although one of them has a glittering green breast, I consider it to be more nearly alhed to that form than to the 

 Chlorostilbones and their aUies. They are very elegant in form ; and I beUeve that the females of both species difi^er 

 yery considerably from the males. I consider this genus to be a very natural one ; yet, strange to say, one of the 

 species (S. cceruleigularis^ has a blue breast, while the other is wholly green. 



Both are natives of the Andes— one in Central America, the other in New Granada. 



388. Sapphironia Goudoti y i y pi 04 c 



Agyrtria Goudoti, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 7, pi. 763. figs. 4765-66. 



Lepidopyga Goudoti, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 40, note. 

 Habitat. New Granada. 



389. Sapphironia c^ruleigularis, Gould ....... y^i y pi 04^ 



Agyrtria cceruleigularis, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 7, pi. 764. figs. 4768-69. 

 Trochilus cyanomelas, Licht. in Mus. of Berlin. 

 Cyanophaia caerulescens, " Lodd.," Reichenb. in Mus. Heinean. 

 Hylocharis caerulescens, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 8, pi. 770. fi(y. 4785. 

 Lepidopyga caeruleigularis. Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 40. 

 Habitat. Costa Rica and Panama. 



I now proceed to the genus 



Sporadinus, Bo7iap„ 

 the members of which are confined to the West India Islands. They are very elegant in form, and are of somewhat 

 large size, when compared with those which precede and follow them. They have deeply-forked tails, and the 

 under surfaces of the males are briUiantly coloured ; the females, on the other hand, are very sombrely attired. 



