CHRYSURONIA JOSEPHINE. 



Josephine's Humming-bird. 



Ornismyia Josephine, Bourc. and Muls. Rev. Zool. 1848, p. 272. 



Trochilus Josephince, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. iii. Supp. App. 30a., App. to p. 103 



Chrysnronia Josephina, Reich. Auf. der Col., p. 9. 



josephina, Bonap. Rev. Zool. 1854, p. 254. 



Josephine's Humming-bird is one of those species with which we are but little acquainted: my own collec- 

 tion contains two examples ; one of these I purchased in Paris ; the other I received direct from the Upper 

 Amazon, where it was procured by Mr. Bates, a thorough naturalist, endowed with courage, energy, and 

 perseverance fully equal to the performance of the task he has undertaken — that of exploring the rich 

 districts of the Upper Amazon. England may indeed be proud of two such sons as Wallace and Bates, 

 to whom zoologists especially must feel grateful for a vast extension of their scientific knowledge. 



In point of affinity this species is very closely allied to the well-known Chrysnronia (Enone ; like that bird 

 it has a splendid golden-bronzy tail ; but the rich blue which adorns the throat as well as the head of that 

 species is confined to the head alone in C. Josephines, the whole of whose under surface is green. We 

 really have seen so little of this bird that it is unsafe to say whether the female be or be not contained 

 in our collections ; but I may predict that, when discovered, she will be found to differ very little from the 

 female of C. (Enone. 



This species has been dedicated by MM. Bourcier and Mulsant to Madame Julien Lacroix. 



Crown of the head rich deep blue, tinged in some specimens with green ; upper surface and wing-coverts 

 golden green ; under surface shining grass-green ; wings purplish brown ; upper tail-coverts coppery bronze ; 

 tail fine golden bronze in some examples, and rich coppery bronze in others ; under tail-coverts golden 

 bronze fringed with grey; upper mandible black; under mandible for four-fifths of its length apparently 

 fleshy white, the tip darker. 



The figures are of the natural size. 



