CHRYSOBRONCHUS VIRESCENS. 



Golden-throated Humming-bird. 



Trochilus Thaumantias, Linn. Syst. Nat., torn. i. p. 489. — Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 309,— 



Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d Hist. Nat., torn. vii. p. 253. 



viridescens, Linn. Syst. Nat., Ed. 6., gen. 76. sp. 2. 



Le Petit Colibri, Briss. Orn., torn. ii. p. 667. 2nd part. — Buff. PL Enl. 600. fig. 1. lb. Hist. 



Nat. des Ois., torn. vi. p. 64. sp. 19. 

 & Oiseau-mouche a queue verte et blanche, Aud. et Vieill. Ois. Dor., torn. i. p. 83. pi. 41. 

 Admirable Humming-bird, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. ii. p. 763. no. 25. — lb. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. 



p. 318. sp. 39. — Shaw, Gen. ZooL, vol. viii. p. 285. 

 Bright-throated Humming-bird, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 309. no. 28. — Shaw, Gen. ZooL, 



vol. viii. p. 287. 

 Trochilus virescens, Dumont, Diet. Sci. Nat., 1818. — Licht. Cat. — Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. 



Nat., torn, xxiii. p. 428. — Prince Max, Beit, zur Naturg. von Bras., p. 107. 



clwysobronclms, Shaw, Gen. ZooL, vol. viii. p. 287. — lb. Steph. Cont., vol. xiv. p. 240. 



viridis, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., torn. vii. p. 354. 



Ornismya viridis, Less. Hist. Nat. des Ois.-mou., p. 178. pi. 60. — lb. Les Troch., p. 144. pi. 54. 



Trochilus chloroleucurus, Saucerotte. 



Polytmus chrysobronchus, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 108, Polytmus, sp. 52. 



Chrysobronchus virescens, Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de ZooL 1854, p. 252. 



Leuclppus chrysobronchus, Reichenb. Aufz. der Colibris, p. 11, 



The adult plumage of the bird figured on the accompanying Plate is so resplendently beautiful that it defies 

 all the powers of art to give its faithful portraiture; I must therefore content myself with as close a repre- 

 sentation of it as possible. Its native country is Brazil, over which it ranges from Rio de Janeiro to the 

 Amazon, and thence probably throughout the whole of the seaboard to the Isthmus of Panama, as I have 

 specimens collected on the Magdalena by M. Warszewicz. It is also found in Trinidad. The individuals 

 from the latter locality are, however, somewhat smaller in size and have more white on their tail-feathers 

 than those found in Brazil, and I have often thought these differences might be of sufficient importance to 

 constitute a distinct species. 



The synonymy of the Chrysobronchus virescens, like that of some other members of the family, is in a sad 

 state of confusion ; on this point I have consulted with the celebrated French Trochilidist, M. Bourcier of 

 Paris, and the above list is given on his authority. 



The specimens sent to this country usually arriving unlabelled, we have no means of determining if there 

 be any marked difference in the colouring of the sexes ; so far as may be judged from an examination of a 

 large number of specimens, they are similar; on the other hand, the young have a very different style of 

 colouring, as may be seen on reference to the accompanying Plate, where a specimen is figured in a state 

 of change from youth to maturity. I have a young specimen in my collection, which, it is pretty certain, 

 was sent from Bogota; but if this be the case, the bird must be regarded as rare in that district. 



All the upper surface, wing- and tail-coverts golden green ; throat, chest and abdomen light luminous 

 golden green ; wings purplish brown ; tail shining green ; the lateral feathers with a stripe of greyish white 

 along the basal portion of the outer web and tipped with greyish white; under tail-coverts green; vent white. 



In the young the under surface is deep fawn colour, with a line of golden-green feathers down the centre 

 of the throat, and the white portion of the tail is very conspicuous. 



The Plate represents adults and young of the natural size. The plant is the Dipfadema acuminata. 



