CHLOROSTILBON ATALA

Atala’s Emerald.

Ornismya atala, Less. Hist. Nat. des Troch p. 115, pl. 493

———  prasina, Less. Hist. Nat. des Ois.-Mou., p. 188 pl. 65 ?

Hylocharis atala, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 115, Hylocha»;
ee ee » Hylocharis, sy. 47?
Saucerottia Atala, Reichenh. Auf. der Col. p73 Jocharis, sp. 47;

Zz atala, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Ay,. p- 77, Sauceropin oe

Trochilus mellisugus, Linn. ?

Se

Tue bird paced on the opposite Plate is a native of Trinidad, where it IS very common. I also possess
examples from (¢ ayenne and Venezuela. | particularly mention that Trinidad the country whence the
specimens I have represented were brought, because the utmost confusion reigns amone the nance
the little green Humming-Birds : would that it were in ny power to unravel this conga I trust some

ie Trochilidist may be more for ate than je, eee
future s y be more fortunate than myself, and that he will be able to tell the world what
authors; no one would be
more happy than I should be to see these knotty points satisfactorily elucidated. I have placed the old
Linnean name of mellisugus to this species with a mark of doubt. having been induced so to do by finding
; - : 5

really are the species intended in the plates and descriptions of the older

that name written, I believe by M. Bourcier, on one of the specimens in my collection; with a mark of
doubt also I have given plates 42 and 65 of Lesson’s ‘Trochilide’ and ‘Oiseaux-Mouches.’ I have
mentioned the difficulty with which the subject is beset in my account of Chlorostilbon prasinus ; I need not,
then, further allude to it here.

M. Bourcier has described a species of this group under the name of Trochilus Daphne, which so closely
resembles this bird as almost to induce a belief that it is identical with it; the 7 Daphne, however, differs
in having a blue tint of colour over the elittering green of the lower part of the throat and breast ; it has
also a less forked tail, and, moreover, is from a different locality—the upper parts of the Rio Negro and
the eastern confines of Ecuador and Peru.

Mr. Tucker informs me that in Trinidad the Chlorostilbon Atala is found in the large open places, or

natural savannahs, between the woods, that it is called the Savannah Sapphire, and that it makes a loud noise

with its wings when flying.

n 7 cas om: aving all those parts of the under
The sexes differ very considerably in their colouring, the female having al Be

surface buffy grey which are green in the male. oe
ae, : Se aoe , st brilliant on
The male has the head. all the upper surface, and wing-coverts shining golden green, mo d

littering green; wines purplish brown; upper tail-coverts
the head ; throat and all the under surface glittering green ; Nae pur] ; Up]
ave been black.
reen 5 tal Ely or IS ack ; the bill appears to have been
green; tail stee ly or bluish black ; 4 PI her mate, but not so brilliant ; a greyish mark behind
The female has the upper surface of the same hue as h ate, but a
, | il-feathers green ; three next on each side
the eye; all the under surface buffy grey; two centre tail-feathers green ; the = oe
a C > A ; s , : cn
cat 1 tremities, which are slightly tipped with grey; th
green at the base and bluish black towards their extremities, eel ae
j , ith green at the base, and tipped with grey.
feather on each side bluish black, slightly washed with gi F lif he plant is the Stanhopea ecornuta.
v male. of the size of life. ‘The ple s (
Che Plate represents two males and a female, of t

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