MELLISUGA MINIMA. 



Little Humming"- Bird. 



TrocMlus minimus, Linn. Syst. torn. i. p. 193.— lb. Gmel. torn. i. p. 500.— Lath. Ind.Orn., vol. i. 

 p. 320.— Edw. Glean., torn. ii. p. 105. pi. 105.— Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 347. 

 Mellivora Avis minima, Sloane, Jam., p. 307. No. xxxviii. tab. 264. %. 1. 

 Polytmus minimus variegatus, Brown, Nat. Hist, of Jam., p. 475 female. 

 Le plus petit Oiseau mouche, Buff. Hist, des Ois., tom. vi. p. 11. pi. 1.— PL Enl. 276. %. 1. 

 rOiseau mouche a ventre gris, Vieill. Ois. dor., tom. i. pi. 53. p. 99. 

 Le tres petit Oiseau mouche, Vieill. Ois. dor., tom. i. pi. 64. p. 113. 

 TrocMlus minutulus, Vieill. Ois. de I'Am. Sept., tom. ii. p. 73. 

 Mellisuga, Briss. Orn., tom. iii. p. 695. pi. xxxvi. fig. 1.— lb. 8vo. tom. ii. p. 29. 



Dominicensis, Briss. Orn., tom. iii. p. 702. pi. xxxvi. fig. 8. 



TrocMlus Vieilloti, Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 347. 



Mellisuga Vieilloti, Steph. Cont. of Shaw's Gen. Zool., vol. xiv. p. 249. 



Ornismya minima. Less. Ois. Mou., pi. 79, fem.— lb. Ind. Gen. et Syn. des Ois. du Gen. Tro- 



chilus, p. xxvii. 

 Least Humming-Bird, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. ii. p. 788. — Shaw, Nat. Misc. vol. xii. pi. 489. — 



lb. Zool. Lect., vol. i. pi. 62.— Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 359. 

 Mellisuga MAmilis, Gosse, Birds of Jam., text, p. 127. 

 TrocMlus Catliarin(B, Salle, Rev. Zool. 1849, p. 498. 



Hylocharis nigra, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 114, Hylocharis, sp. 16. 

 Mellisuga minima, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 81. 

 TrocMlus niger, Gmel., Lath,, &c. ? 



In referring the above long list of synonyms to one and the same species of Humming-Bird, I know that I 

 am deviating from the opinion of some writers on the subject; but after devoting the utmost attention to 

 the matter, I have been unable to arrive at any other conclusion ; at the same time I am open to conviction : 

 if any proofs that I am in error can be adduced before the completion of the present work, I shall be happy 

 to rectify any mistakes into which I may have fallen. I may state, however, that my own view is entirely 

 coincided in by M. Bourcier, a gentleman, whose long attention to, and ample opportunities for acquiring a 

 knowledge of the subject, render his opinion of the highest value ; he has, moreover, given me permission 

 to state that he believes the celebrated little Humming-Bird of the Loddigesian collection, formerly in that 

 of Mr. Leadbeater, and earlier still in that of Mr. Bullock, to be an immature bird of the species here 

 figured ; it is but fair, however, to state that this was not the opinion of the late Mr. George Loddiges, 

 who considered it to be a distinct species, and the minute eg^ accompanying it to be genuine : for myself, 

 I must say, that, so far as I am able to judge from an examination of the specimen through the glass- 

 case in which it is deposited, it appears to me to be an immature bird of this or some other species. 



The Mellisuga minima is very generally dispersed over nearly the whole of Jamaica and the greater 

 portion of St. Domingo, but has not as yet been found elsewhere ; those islands may therefore be regarded 

 as its true habitat. Its small size having attracted very general observation, more has been written 

 respecting this little Humming-Bird than any other known species ; the most lucid and valuable account of 

 its habits and economy is that given by Mr, Gosse in his very interesting work on the " Birds of Jamaica," 

 which I am sure his well-known desire for the promotion of science will induce him to excuse my trans- 

 scribing from somewhat largely. After giving his reasons for believing this bird to be distinct from the 

 Trochilm minimus of the older authors, Mr, Gosse says, — 



" I have ventured to give to the present species the specific appellation of humilis, from its habit of 

 buzzing over the Ioav herbaceous plants of pastures, which our other species do not. The West Indian 

 Vervain {Stachytarpheta~) is one of the most common weeds in neglected pastures, shooting up everywhere its 

 slender columns, set round with blue flowers, to the height of a foot. About these, our little Humming- 

 Bird is abundant during the summer months, probing the azure blossoms a few inches from the ground. It 

 visits the spikes in succession, flitting from one to another, exactly in the manner of the honey-bee, and with 



