CALOTHORAX CALLIOPE, GouM. 



Mexican Satellite. 



Trochilus [Calothorax) Calliope, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xv. p. 11. 



Calothomx Calliope, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 110, Calothorax, sp. 11.— Bonap. 



Consp. Gen. Av., p. 85, Calothorax, sp. 2.— Reich. Aufz. der Col., p. 13.— Bonap. 



Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 257. 



For the discovery of this elegant little Calothorax, science is indebted to the late Signor Damiano Floresi 

 d'Areais, a gentleman endowed with so many amiable qualities, that while his friends dwell with pleasure 

 upon the recollections of the gratification they derived from his society, they as deeply and mournfully 

 regret his premature decease from fever immediately on landing in the pestilential country of Panama. 

 The name of Floresi will also always be held in high regard among Trochilidists for the fine collections 

 of Humming-Birds obtained by him during his lengthened sojourn on the table-lands of Mexico, and from 

 the circumstance of several of the species he procured being new to science ; the little Satellite figured 

 on the accompanying Plate is one of them. Of the history of this species, nothing more, I regret to 

 say, is known than that it was procured in the neighbourhood of the Real del Monte mines, and that it 

 occasionally and very sparingly visited that region, probably during its migrations from some more distant 

 locality : had it been a stationary species in that part of the country, the vigilance displayed by Signor 

 Floresi in the pursuit of this group of birds would have led to the capture of a larger number of speci- 

 mens ; but this not being the case, it continues so rare, that I know of not more than two or three col- 

 lections besides my own which contain examples. Its diminutive size, short and square-formed tail, and 

 the delicate colouring of its starry throat, render it conspicuously diflferent from every other species. The 

 female bears a general resemblance to the female of Selasphoms ? Heloisa, but differs in the colouring of 

 the base of the outer tail-feathers, which are grey instead of reddish-buff ; the entire tail too is shorter, and 

 assumes much of the square form of that of the male sex. 



The male has the upper surface bronzy-green ; wings and tail greyish-brown ; feathers of the throat 

 elongated, narrow, and of a rich pinky-scarlet, with white bases arranged in a starred form ; breast, centre 

 of the abdomen and under tail-coverts white ; flanks light bronzy-green ; bill and feet blackish-brovi^n. 



The female has the upper surface golden-bronze ; wings greyish-brown ; tail-feathers greenish-grey at the 

 base, the remainder black, with the exception of the two outer feathers on each side, which are tipped with 

 white ; under surface huffy-white, very minutely speckled with brown on the throat, and stained with buff on 

 the abdomen and under tail-coverts. 



The Plate represents a male and a female of the size of life. The plant is Gilia dianthoides. 



