Plate XLII. 



CHLOROPHONIA OCCIPITALIS. 



(TEE BLUE-CEOWNED CHLOEOPHOXE). 



kJEwpJionia occipitalis . , . Du. Bus, Esq. Orn. 1. 14. 2 



„ „ ... Bp. Consp. I. p. 233. . . 



„ „ . . . ' Scl. Contr. Oru. 1851, p. 90. 



Chloroplionia occipitalis . : Bp. Eev. Zool. 1851, p. 138, et Wote sur les Tang. p. 12. 



. . Cass. Eep. TJ. S. N. Astr. Esp. ii, p. 182, t. 20, f. 2. 



„ . . Scl. P.Z.S. 1856, p. 270 ; 1857, p. 205 ; 1859, p. 364 ; 



et Cat. Am. Birds, p. 55. 



„ . „ . . Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 17. 



Clar^ viridis, occipite et linea cervicali utrinque coeruleis : torque pectorali obscure castanea: abdomine medio flavo : 

 j.ostro nigricanti-plumbeo, pedibus corylinis : long, tota 5'0, alse 3"1, caudse I'S. — Faetn. Torque pectorali nuUo ; 

 abdomine medio flavicante. 



Hab. in Mexico Meridionali et Guatemala. 



This is the most northern representative of the genus Chloroplionia^ and one of the finest 

 and largest members of the group. It was originally characterized by the Vicomte Du Bus 

 in his " Esquisses Ornithologiques," from a female specimen stated to have been received from 

 Mexico. The male was first described by Sclater, in the " Contributions to Ornithology" for 

 1851, from a specimen in the British Museum collected by Delattre, probably in the vicinity of 

 Coban in Vera Paz. 



Recent collectors in the Southern States of Mexico have made this bird better known to 

 us, both M. Salle and M. de Oca having obtained specimens in the vicinity of Jalapa. In 

 Guatemala Salvin met with it in tolerable abundance near Coban, where it resorts to the 

 higher trees in the patches of forest left among the clearings. Like the rest of the typical 

 Tanagers it is a fruit-eater, and in this district may be always found during the months of 

 November and December in the branches of such trees as bear fruit at this season. It is also a 

 favourite cage-bird in Guatemala, its showy plumage rendering it attractive, though it has no 

 power of song. Skins obtained by Salvin fully agree with Mexican specimens, so that Sclater's 

 conjecture, (Ibis, 1859, p. 232) that the Guatemalan bird might turn out to be G. cyanodorsalis^ 

 proves to be incorrect. Indeed, we have never yet met Avith an example of the latter 

 bird, and thmk it probable that the locality of "Guatemala" has been erroneously assigned 

 to it. 



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