Specimens of the Trochilidse. 
263 
of greenish gloss, and the breast is slightly darker and the 
bine more widely dispersed. Otherwise the specimens are 
precisely alike. I have still another specimen, which differs 
again from all the others. In its back and tail it is like C. 
delalandii; the crest, however, is a dark silvery grey, incli¬ 
ning to green on the long feathers of the occiput. The under¬ 
parts are a bright metallic rich greenish blue, very different 
from any thing I have ever seen among specimens of the 
genus Cephalepis. It is extremely difficult to determine 
whether these represent several distinct species of Cephalepis , 
or whether my specimens, as well as the type of C. beskii, are 
merely different forms of variation occurring accidentally in 
the plumage of individuals belonging to the C. delalandii. I 
have never seen any varieties among specimens of C. loddigesi; 
but as this is still a very rare species, it may be that our ex¬ 
amples have been too few to enable us to learn if individuals 
of that species vary or not to any considerable extent. In 
order to determine the value of these forms it will be neces¬ 
sary to await the arrival of more specimens. 
Argytria meliphila. 
This is a Chlorostilbon, of the style called C. daphne by Bour- 
cier, differing from its allies, such as C. atala and C . brevi- 
caudata, chiefly by having a deeper wash of blue upon the 
throat. It may be a matter of considerable doubt whether 
this should be considered sufficient to warrant this form taking 
a separate specific rank ; and besides this difference I find no 
other by which Yon Pelzehr’s bird may be distinguished. So 
long as C. daphne remains as a species, the Argytria meliphila 
must be placed as a synonym of it; but it is most probable 
that a large series of specimens would show a gradation be¬ 
tween several of these little green Humming-birds, and neces¬ 
sitate their being all classed as one species. Yon Pelzelm’s 
specimen was procured at Barcellos by Natterer. 
Argytria media. 
This is also a Chlorostilbon , and is a very young bird, with 
but a few of the metallic feathers of the adult showing upon 
the throat. From the fact that it is in such immature plu- 
