EUCEPHALA HYPOCYANEA, Gould. 



Blue-breasted Sapphire. 



* 



Eucephala hypocyanea, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xxviii. p. 306. 



This is a very small but well-marked species. The specimens from which my figures and description are taken 

 are undoubtedly adult, and there is no other Humming-Bird known to me with which it can be confounded. 

 Its beautiful shining blue breast renders it a bird of considerable beauty, and its dark rich coppery-red upper 

 tail-coverts is a character which the Trochilidist should not overlook when comparing it with any other 

 species ; it must be understood also that the blue of the throat and breast is confined to those parts, while 

 the crown of the head and all the upper surface are uniform deep green. 



Plate 49 of Lesson's ' Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux Mouches ' appears to have been taken from a bird 

 of this kind ; but, unless we could see the type-specimen of that author, we cannot be certain that it 

 represents this species ; and even if it does, the term bicolor proposed by him is surely inappropriate. 



I have only seen a single specimen of this bird, the native country of which is unknown to me ; in all 

 probability Brazil is its habitat. 



Crown of the head, back of the neck, back and flanks dull green ; throat and chest brilliant blue, 

 passing into glittering green on the centre of the abdomen ; wings purplish brown ; upper tail-coverts red- 

 dish bronze ; under tail-coverts brownish black with bronzy tips : tail steel-black ; thighs brown ; upper 

 mandible black; basal two-thirds of the under mandible flesh-colour, the apical third black. 



The figures are of the size of life. The plant is the Billbergia JVetheretti. 



