Genus Cyanomyia Bonap.

• 313.

  Cyanomyia quadricolor

  Habitat: Northern Mexico

  Plate 284 Cyanomyia quadricolor Red-billed Azure-crown

  • Ornismya cyanocephala, Less. Supp. des Ois.-mou. p. 132, pl. 17.
  • Trochilus verticalis, Licht. Preis-Verz. Mexican. Thier. ges. v. Deppe & Schiede (Sept. 1830), Nos. 27, 28.
  • Cyanomyia verticalis, Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 254.
  • Agyrtria quadricolor, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 7, pl. 761. figs. 4758–59.
  • Uranomitra quadricolor, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 41, note.
• 314.

  Cyanomyia violiceps (Gould)

  Habitat: Western Mexico

  Plate 285 Cyanomyia violiceps Violet-Crown

  • Uranomitra violiceps, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 41.
• 315.

  Cyanomyia cyanocephala

  Habitat: Southern Mexico

  Plate 286 Cyanomyia cyanocephala Black-billed Azure-crown

  “This Humming-Bird,” says M. Montes de Oca, “is generally known by the name of Chupa-mirto comun de pecho blanco, or Common White-breasted Myrtle-sucker. It is found very abundantly and at all seasons of the year in the vicinity of Jalapa, Coatepec, Orizaba, and many other places in Mexico, where it remains all the year round, and I have often found its nest in the months of April and May.

  “The nest of this species, like those of nearly all the Humming-Birds of this part of Mexico (Jalapa), is lined with the tull silky floss, and is most ingeniously covered on the outside with moss from the rocks. The eggs are generally two in number, but upon one occasion I found three in a nest.”

  In my account of this species, I have stated that it was found in Guatemala as well as Mexico; and although this may be the case, I believe the latter country to be its true habitat. Guatemalan differ from Mexican specimens in the colouring of the tail-feathers; in the latter they are olive-green, in the former rich bronzy-green. Under these circumstances I cannot regard them as identical, I must therefore give the Guatemalan bird a distinctive appellation:—

  • Ornismya cyanocephala, Less. Supp. des Ois.-mou. p. 134, pl. 18.
  • Polytmus verticalis, Gray & Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 109, Polytmus, sp. 86.
  • ? Uranomitra cyanocephala, Reichenb. Aufz. der Col. p. 10.
  • Cyanomyia cyanocephala, Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 254; Montes de Oca, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1860, p. 80.
  • Agyrtria Faustine, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 7, pl. 760. figs. 4756–57.
  • Agyrtria cyanocephala, Reichenb. ib. p. 7, pl. 760. figs. 4754–55.
  • Uranomitra Lessoni, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 41.
• 316.

  Cyanomyia Guatemalensis (Gould)

  Habitat: Guatemala

  No illustrations

  “Last year, in a cypress tree near the house at Duefias, a pair of these birds built their nest. ‘This year I found a branch of the same tree similarly tenanted, the new nest being only a few yards from the site of the old one. To obtain it, I was obliged to cut away the branch; and though, in falling, the nest was quite thrown on its side, the eggs, much to my surprise, did not fall out: this I afterwards found was owing to the lip of the nest turning inwards. Another pair commenced building near the house; and the male bird frequently came while I was preparing skins in the corridor, and took pieces of cotton almost from my hand. In the afternoon of August 14, my friend Mr. Wyld observing it making a descent upon some small object in his room, shut the window and called me. The intruder, who was wearied from fluttering against the window, suffered itself to be caught. Ina very few moments its agitation ceased, and it seemed to be taking advantage of its comfortable place in my hand to rest from its fatigues, making no attempt to escape. Before letting it go, I procured a piece of sugar, and, after dipping it in water, put it to the tip of its bill. Almost immediately its long tongue was employed in sucking up the liquid. On liberating it, it flew to a tree close at hand, and seemed to take no further notice of its late captivity.”—Salvin in Ibis, vol. ii. p. 39.

  • Cyanomyia cyanocephala, Salvin in Ibis, vol. ii. p. 39.
• 317.

  Cyanomyia Franciæ

  Habitat: New Granada

  Plate 287 Cyanomyia Franciæ Francia’s Azure-Crown

  • Agyriria Franciae, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 7, pl. 761. figs. 4760–61.
  • Trochilus hypoleucus, Licht. in Mus. of Berlin.
  • Uranomitra Franciae, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 41.
• 318.

  Cyanomyia cyanicollis (Gould)

  Habitat: Peru

  Plate 288 Cyanomyia cyanicollis Blue-necked Azure-Crown

  • Agyriria cyanicollis, Reichenb. Troch. Enum. p. 7.
  • Uranomitra cyanicollis, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. Theil iii. p. 41, note.