AMAZILIA BERYLLINA. 



Berylline Amazili. 



Trochihis beryllium, Licht. Preis-Verz. Mexican. Thier. ges. v. Deppe und Schiede (Sept. 1830), 



no. 26. 

 Ornismya Arsinoe, Less. Supp. Hist. Nat. des Ois. Mou., pp. 154, 156. pis. 28, 29. — lb. Rev. 



et Mag. de Zool. 1838, p. 314, 1839, p. 18. 

 Cynanthus Arsinoe, Jard. Nat. Lib. Ilumm. -Birds, vol. ii. p. 149. pi. 33. 

 Polytmus Arsinoe, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 109, Polytmus, sp. 9. 

 Amazilkis arsinoe, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., torn, i. p. 77, Amazilius, sp. 2. — lb. Rev. et Mag. 



de Zool. 1854, p. 254. 

 Amazilia Arsinoe, Reich. Auf. der Col., p. 10. — lb. Troch. Enum., p. 8. t. dcclxxiv. 



figs. 4794-97? 

 Pyrrhophaena beryllina, Cab. Mus. Hein., Theil iii. p. 36. 



This bird is generally known to Trochilidists by the specific name of Arsinoe \ but the Berlin ornithologists 

 tell us that it had been previously named benjllinus by the late Dr. Lichtenstein in his priced list of birds 

 issued in 1830 ; and I have adopted the name proposed by my very old friend who so long filled the post of 

 Director of the Zoological Museum of Berlin : at the same time I question the justice of the procedure, 

 as it can scarcely be expected that names proposed in a catalogue of duplicate birds, even if accompanied 

 by brief specific descriptions, are to be received and admitted by the scientific naturalist ; for myself, I have 

 never seen the pamphlet alluded to. 



The native country of the Amazilia beryllina is Southern Mexico, where it appears to be numerous; it 

 does not, however, seem to enjoy a very wide range, since I do not recollect ever seeing examples of it in 

 any collection from Guatemala; if it be found there, it is but rarely, and only in the northern parts of the 

 country, or those portions bordering on Mexico. Several specimens were collected by M. Botteri in the 

 neighbourhood of Orizaba, and M. Salle procured others at Cordova. 



A considerable difference occurs in the extent of the green colouring of the under surface in different 

 individuals; in some this colour spreads over the whole of the abdomen, while in others it merely covers 

 the chest and the upper part of the flanks, the breast being of a deep brownish fawn-colour. This variation 

 in the extent of the green colouring I at one time attributed to a difference of sex, the male being generally 

 more clothed with green than the female, but I now think it is merely a local variation. 



Head, sides and back of the neck, upper part of the back, and the anterior portion of the wing-coverts 

 dark green, gradually passing into the rich deep golden and purplish bronze of the posterior portion of the 

 wing-coverts, lower part of the back and upper tail-coverts ; spurious wing very dark brown ; primaries and 

 secondaries dark chestnut-red at the base, and purplish brown for the remainder of their length ; tail rich 

 deep purplish bronze, the purple hue prevailing on the four central feathers ; chin, throat, chest, and ab- 

 domen shining grass-green; under surface of the wing, vent, and under tail-coverts deep chestnut-red, the 

 feathers of the latter part narrowly fringed with white ; upper mandible black ; under mandible fleshy with 



a black tip. 



The figures are of the size of life. The plant is the Maxillaria Warreana. 



