MELLISUGA MINIMA.

Little Humming-Bird.

Trochilus minimus, Linn. Syst. tom. i. p.193.—Ib. Gmel. tom. i. p- 500.—Lath. Ind. Orn., vol.1.
p. 320.—Edw. Glean., tom. ii. p- 105. pl. 105.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. vii. p. 347.

Mellivora Avis minima, Sloane, Jam., p. 307. No. xxxviu. tab. 264. fig. 1.

Polytmus minimus variegatus, Brown, Nat. Hist. of Jam., p- 475 female.

Le plus petit Oiseau mouche, Buff. Hist. des Ois., tom. vi. p. 11. pl. 1.—Pl. Enl. 276. fig. 1.

L’ Oiseau mouche a ventre gris, Vieill. Ois. dor., tom. i. pl. 53. p. 99.

Le tres petit Oiseau mouche, Vieill. Ois. dor., tom. i. pl. 64. p. 113.

Trochilus minutulus, Vieill. Ois. de VAm. Sept., tom. ii. p. 73.

Melhsuga, Briss. Orn., tom. iti. p. 695. pl. xxxvi. fig. 1.—Tb. 8vo. tom. ii. p. 29.

——— Domincensis, Briss. Orn., tom. im. p. 702. PE xeonyieties Se

Trochilus Vieilloti, Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 347.

Mellisuga Vieilloti, Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xiv. p. 249.

Ornismya minima, Less. Ois. Mou., pl. 79, fem.—Ib. Ind. Gen. et Syn. des Ois. du Gen. Tro-

chilus, p. xxvu.

Least Humming-Bird, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. i. p. 788.—Shaw, Nat. Mise. vol. xii. pl. 489.—
Ib. Zool. Lect., vol. i. pl. 62.—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 359.

Mellisuga humilis, Gosse, Birds of Jam., text, p. 127.

Trochilus Catharine, Sallé, Rev. Zool. 1849, p. 498.

Hylocharis nigra, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. 1. p. 114, Hylocharis, sp. 16.

Mellisuga minima, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Ay., p. 81.

Trochilus nger, Gmel., Lath., &e. ?

 

Iv referring the above long list of synonyms to one and the same species of Humming-Bird, I know that I
am deviating from the opmion of some writers on the subject; but after devoting the utmost attention to
the matter, Ihave been unable to arrive at any other conclusion ; at the same time I am open to conviction :
if any proofs that I am in error can be adduced before the completion of the present work, I shall be happy
to rectify any mistakes into which I may have fallen. I may state, however, that my Own view is entirely
coincided in by M. Bourcier, a gentleman, whose long attention to, and ample opportunities for acquiring a
knowledge of the subject, render his opinion of the highest value; he has, moreover, given me permission
to state that he believes the celebrated little Humming-Bird of the Loddigesian collection, formerly in that
of Mr. Leadbeater, and earlier still in that of Mr. Bullock, to be an immature bird of the species here
figured ; it is but fair, however, to state that this was not the opinion of the late Mr. George Loddiges,
who considered it to be a distinct species, and the minute egg accompanying it to be genuine: for myself,
I must say, that, so far as I am able to judge from an examination of the specimen through the glass-
case in which it is deposited, it appears to me to be an immature bird of this or some other species.

The Melhsuga minima is very generally dispersed over nearly the whole of Jamaica and the greater
portion of St. Domingo, but has not as yet been found elsewhere; those islands may therefore be regarded
as its true habitat. Its small size having attracted very general observation, more has been written
respecting this little Humming-Bird than any other known species ; the most lucid and valuable account of
its habits and economy is that given by Mr. Gosse in his very interesting work on the “ Birds of Jamaica,”
which I am sure his well-known desire for the promotion of science will induce him to excuse my trans-
scribing from somewhat largely. After giving his reasons for believing this bird to be distinct from the
Trochilus minimus of the older authors, Mr. Gosse says,—

“TI have ventured to give to the present species the specific appellation of Awmilis, from its habit of
buzzing over the low herbaceous plants of pastures, which our other species do not. The West Indian
Vervain (Stachytarpheta) is one of the most common weeds in neglected pastures, shooting up everywhere its
slender columns, set round with blue flowers, to the height of a foot. About these, our little Humming-
Bird is abundant durmg the summer months, probing the azure blossoms a few inches from the ground, It

visits the spikes in succession, flitting from one to another, exactly in the manner of the honey-bee, and with