Encyclopedian Dictionary: Lampornis calolaemus ( Purple-throated Mountaingem )


Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom	Animalia – Animal, animals
Phylum	Chordata – chordates
Subphylum	Vertebrata – vertebrates
Class	Aves – Birds
Order	Apodiformes – Swifts, Hummingbirds
Family	Trochilidae – Hummingbirds
Subfamily	Trochilinae
Genus	Lampornis Swainson, 1827 – Blue-throated Hummingbirds
Species	Lampornis calolaemus (Salvin, 1865) – Purple-throated Mountain-gem, Purple-throated Mountaingem
Direct Children:
Subspecies	Lampornis calolaemus calolaemus (Salvin, 1865)
Subspecies	Lampornis calolaemus homogenes Wetmore, 1967
Subspecies	Lampornis calolaemus pectoralis (Salvin, 1891)

Extract from Monograph of the Trochilidae by J. Gould ©1887 :

OREOPYRA CALOLÆ MA, Salvin.

Purple-throated Humming-bird.

Oreopyra calolæma, Salvin, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 584. — Scl. & Salv. Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p. 80 (1872).— Elliot, Synopsis of the Humming-Birds, p. 33 (1878). — Eudes-Deslongchamps, Ann. Mus. d’Hist. Nat. Caen, i. p. 239 (1880).
Oreopyra venusta, Lawr. Ann. Lyc. N.Y. viii. p. 484.

THIS Humming-bird is easily recognizable from the other species of Oreopyra by its metallic purple throat, the other two species having white throats.
It was originally described by Mr. Salvin from specimens procured by Enrique Arcé on the Volcan de Cartago in Costa Rica, and it has since been obtained in the State of Panama.
The following is a translation of Mr. Salvin's original description : —
Back greenish; head with the breast bluish green, very brilliant, the latter being more distinctly green; entire throat and cbin glittering violet-red; ear-coverts and sides of nape black; a long postocular streak of white, extending as far as the nape; belly dull ashy, slightly washed with green; vent uniform, the feathers margined with white; wings purplish black, the wing-coverts green; tail steel-blue. Total length 4 inches, wing 2·6, tail 1·4, longest tail-feathers 1·5, bill from gape 1.
Two males and a female, of the natural size, are depicted in the Plate, drawn from typical specimens lent to us by Messrs. Salvin and Godman.

[R. B. S.]