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EUCEPHALA PYROPYGIA

Fire-rumped Sapphire.

Salvin & Godman.

Eucephala pyropygia, Salvin & Godman, Ibis, 1881, p. 596

a a

Tuis is the latest-described of all the species of Sapphire

ee s, and seems to be a very distinc All
to E. hypocyanea, but is distinguished by its Mgpteme ce) 08 cllligg

glittering head; and its habitat is su {
E. Batis ! £ g abit supposed to be Ecuador: but
this is not yet satisfactorily ascertained. Messrs. Salvin and Godman write further :—*« Its ‘A

‘ > real Nae | 6
genus seems to be certainly next to Z. hypocyanea, near to which E. subcerulea, Elliot, must
£ 2 ° : . Re 9 s
from both these species it differs in having a shining green crown, slig
The following is a translation of the original description given by

position in this
also stand; but
htly washed with blue.

Messrs. Salvin and Godman :—
Green, with the top of the head and the under surface of the body shining bluish gre
5

; en, the whole of the
middle of the throat washed with brighter blue; lower back russet, with the upper

“| ‘ jus! nea ci tail-coverts coppery
reddish ; wings dusky; tail only shightly rounded, steel-black. Total length 3:4 inches, wing 1-9, centre
tail-feathers 1-1, outer ones 1:0, bill from gape 0-9.

EUCEPHALA SUBCARULEA, Eviot.

Blue-breasted Sapphire.

Eucephala subcerulea, Elliot, Ibis, 1874, p. 87.—Muls. Hist. Nat. Oiseaux-Mouches, ii.
p- 35 (1875).—Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 280 (1878).—
Eudes-Deslongchamps, Annuaire Mus. d’Thst. Nat. Caen, i. 457 (1881).

 

lliot, and I have never seen a specimen myself. It is shown by him

Tuts species was described by Mr. E .
ffers from its allies in having the throat, breast,

to belong to the green-headed section of the genus, and di
and abdomen cerulean blue, with the upper and under tail-coverts dark green. ;
Mr. Elliot gives the following account of the bird, which is supposed to pate come from ee a
“This species appears to be intermediate between FH. ce@rulea and i Aypocyanea, as represented by
From the first of these it can be readily distinguished by the rich blue

the type in Mr. Gould’s collection. ane
ing confined in that species to a spot

of the underparts, which are metallic green in E. cerulea, the blue be oe ee
on the chin. To the second of the above-named species it bears a closer affinity, ut differs du

tail-coverts, and buffy white thighs, these parts im
ack with bronzy tips, and browv. Besides

same colour, and also differently dispersed

green upper tail-coverts, the metallic green under
E. hypocyanea being respectively reddish bronze, brownish bl
these differences, the blue of the under surface is not of the
over the plumage.”

“Upper part of head and back dark dull green, re
throat, breast, and abd
red by flufly white feathers. Under tail-coverts
mandible yellow (in life possibly red)
Thighs buffy white. Length 33

st of back and upper tail-coverts dark green, with
autiful metallic cerulean blue ;

s omen beautiful metallic ceerulean :

a rufous tinge dispersed all over these pels ; i.

Lower part of abdomen cove !

Tail bluish black. Maxilla Beals

Feet brownish black.

flanks shining grass-green.
metallic green. Wings purple.
for its entire length, save the tip, which is black.

inches, bill $, wing 23, tail le