258 TEOOHILID^. 



plant of an Opuntia in such a manner that a section of the plant shaded it from sun 

 and rain. 



2. lache magica. 



Hylocharis magica, Muls. & Verr. Class. Troch. p. 38'; Aan. Soc. Linn. Lyon, xviii. p. 110 '. 



Circe magica, Muls. Hist. Nat. Ois.-Mouclies, ii. p. 40, t. 33 \ 



lache magica, Elliot, Syn. Troch. p. 235 ' ; Salv. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xvi. p. 61 '. 



I. latirosiri persimilis, sed minor, alls, rostro et cauda brevioribus, vix distingiienda. 



Hab. Mexico ^^^, Mazatlan {Forrer ^). 



Mr. Elliot separated this bird from /. latirostris chiefly on account of the throat 

 being, as he says, " metallic bluish green " instead of " sapphire-blue " and its smaller 

 size. One of our specimens from Mazatlan seems to belong to this form, but we much 

 doubt if it is really distinct from I. latirostris. The latter bird shows so much varia- 

 tion in the amount of blue on the throat in specimens shot at the same time of year 

 and at the same place, Bolaiios, that, so far as the colour of the throat is concerned, 

 /. magica may well be a greenish-throated /. latirostris, both being found at Mazatlan. 

 The difference of size is not great : — 



I. latirostris: wing 2'1 in.; tail U'93. 

 I. magica : „ 1"9 in. ; „ 0"87. 



But this difi'erence seems the sole tangible ground for the separation of /. magica. 

 This name was first introduced by MM. Mulsant and Verreaux in their Classification 

 of Trochilidse, but without description K The type passed into Mr. Elliot's hands and 

 was characterized in his ' Synopsis ' ^. 



3. lache lawrencii. 



Circe latirostris, Grayson, Pr. Bost. Soc. N. H. xiv. p. 282 ' ; Lawr. Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. 



p. 292^ 

 lache lawrencii, Berl. Ibis, 1887, p. 292'; Salv. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xvi. p. 61 *. 



/. latirosiri quoque similis, sed gutture omnino micanti-viridi vix caeruleo tincto ; tectricibus subcaudalibus 

 obscure griseis disco late chalybeo-nigris nee albis quoque distinguenda. 



Sab. Mexico, Tres Marias Islands {Grayson ^ ^, Forrer ^ *). 



This bird was separated from /. latirostris by Count Berlepsch in 1887 ^ his 

 description being based upon specimens obtained in the Tres Marias Islands by 

 Mr. Alphonse Forrer. We have a pair from the same source which fully confirm the 

 points of distinction indicated by its describer, and which ai'e referred to in the above 

 diagnosis. The only question as regards this bird which demands special attention is 

 its range, for it is said to occur with the common species, /. latirostris, on the mainland 

 near Mazatlan, and that /, latirostris also occurs on the Tres Marias Islands. If this 

 is, so the presence in the same localities of two so nearly related forms is remarkable, 



