Colors. Male.—Space around and behind the eye, in the living bird, yellow, with a large red spot on its most posterior part; plumage of the head above dark blue, with a metallic lustre, every feather edged with reddish fulvous and white; entire other upper parts dark metallic green, darkest on the neck behind and on the back; lightest on the wings and central feathers of the tail; all the upper plumage edged with white, and very narrowly with pale fulvous; primary quills dark brown, with a green metallic lustre, and edged with white on their outer webs; upper coverts of the tail and two central tail feathers green, with metallic lustre, and edged with white; other feathers of the tail deep shining blue, narrowly edged, and widely tipped with white, and having in some lights a green lustre; under parts white, slightly tinged with ashy and very pale yellowish; and on the throat and neck before with longitudinal stripes of dark greenish-brown; bill and feet light bluish. Female similar, but with the colors less vivid.
Hab. California, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico. Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada., and in Nat. Mus., Washington city.
Obs. As the reader will have discovered from our preceding synonymes, an unusual superabundance of names has been proposed for this bird. We have no doubt, however, that it is the Hoitlallotl of Hernandez (Nova, plantarum, animalium et mineralium Mexicanorum, Historia, p. 25. Folio, Rome, 1651), whose description is cited by both Buffon and Latham. On the faith of the notice by the latter (Synopsis of Birds, II. p. 723), Gmelin gave the name Phasianus mexicanus as cited above. The description by Hernandez is short and not very accurate; but we could mention many species of birds, the original descriptions of which are quite as much so, both ancient and modern. Prof. Wagler, in his description of Geococcyx variegatus, above alluded to, expresses the opinion that his bird is the same as that described by Hernandez; and Mr. Strickland, in Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist., VIII. p. 544 (1842), arrives at the same conclusion.
We regard it as at least possible, too, that this bird is the Upupa mexicana (Gmelin, Syst. Nat., I. p. 467), which is the “Mexican Promerops” (Latham, Syn., II. p. 691). The descriptions are founded on a figure in Seba (pl. 45, fig. 3), that about as accurately represents this species as any other; which can also be said of his description. In Seba’s figure it will be observed that three toes are directed forward, which might appear to be a difficulty; but in reference to that point we ask attention to Col. McCall’s valuable contribution in a preceding page. There is, too, some peculiarity intended or attempted to be represented in the figure to which we allude.
The sexes of this bird differ in size very considerably; and there are, also, variations in size and measurements, such as comparative lengths of their bills and tails between different specimens. We have seen a large number of specimens, from various localities, but of one species only. Though we have been constantly on the watch for it, we have never detected the smaller species alluded to by Captain McCown, which is very probably Geococcyx affinis, described by Dr. George Hartlaub, of the State Museum of Bremen, one of the most learned and accurate of European ornithologists. That species may be more an inhabitant of the mountainous or hilly country than the subject of our present article.
Plate 37
The Whip-Tom-Kelly
Vireosylvia altiloqua (Vieillot)
VIREOSYLVIA ALTILOQUA.—(Vieillot.)
The Long-billed Flycatcher. The Whip-tom-kelly. The John-to-whit.
PLATE XXXVII. Adult Male.
This little bird is very similar in form and general appearance to the Red-eyed Flycatcher (Vireosylvia olivacea), of the United States, but is larger, and is distinctly characterized by the dark line on the side of the neck. It appears to possess much the same habits as the common species just mentioned, and others that inhabit the northern division of the continent of America. Passing its life, for the greater part, searching for insects amongst the thick foliage of the forest, in which its color favors concealment, it utters its peculiar notes, evidently of the same general character, but much louder and quite different from those of either of its northern brethren.
Though long known as a bird of the West Indies, and represented by Mr. Gosse to be abundant in the Island of Jamaica, it has but recently been discovered within the limits of the United States. Vieillot, it is true, gave it as a North American species, and in his fine work, which is of standard value in the history of our birds, figures it accurately, but from specimens obtained in the West Indies. It was first ascertained to be a summer visitor in Florida, by Dr. A. L. Heermann, who observed it in considerable numbers in that State, at a season when it was certainly engaged in the duties of incubation; but it has as yet never been noticed in any other part of the United States. It is probable, too, that it inhabits Cuba, but the several able naturalists of that Island have not detected it, or at least have not stated it to be different from the common Red-eyed Flycatcher.