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Plate XLII. 



CHLOEOPHONIA OCCIPITALIS. 



(THE BLUE-CROWNED CHLOROPHOKE). 



JEuplionia occipitalis 



Chloroplionia occipitalis 



Du Bus, Esq. Orn. 1. 14. 5 (1847). 

 Bp. Consp. I. p. 233. 

 Scl. Contr. Orn. 1851, p. 90. 



Bp. Bev. Zool. 1851, p. 138, et Note sur les Tang. p. 12. 

 Cass. Sep. U. S. N. Astr. Exp. 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. 



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

 rostro nigricanti-plumbeo, pedibus corylinis: long, tota 5'0, alas 3i, caudse IS.—Foem. torque pectorali nullo : 

 abdomine medio navicante. 



Hob. in Mexico Meridionali et Guatemala. 



This is the most northern representative of the genus Chlorophonia, 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 obtained 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 

 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 C. cyanodorsalis, proves to 

 be incorrect. Indeed, we have never yet met with an example of the latter bird, and 

 think it probable that the locality of " Guatemala" has been erroneously assigned to it. 



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