"I
am indebted to my friend the reverend John Bachman for
this species of Humming Bird, 0f which he received a
specimen from our mutual friend Dr. Strobel, and
afterwards presented it to me.
"Hitherto"
says he, ' it has been supposed that only one species
of Humming Bird ever visits the United States. ( the
Trochilus Colubris) Although this is a genus of
upwards of a hundred species, all of which are
peculiar to the continent of America and the adjoining
islands, yet with few exceptions they are confined to
the tropics."
"It
affords me great pleasure to introduce to the lovers
of Natural History a second species of Humming Bird as
an inhabitant of the United States. The specimen which
is now in my possession, was obtained by Dr. Strobel
at Key West in East Florida. He informed me that he
had succeeded in capturing it from a bush where he had
found it seated, apparently wearied after its long
flight across the Gulf of Mexico, probably from some
of the West India Islands, or the coast of South
America. Whether this species is numerous in any part
of Florida, I have no means of
ascertaining"
"The
female figures introduced in this plate were taken
from a specimen procured at Charleston; but whether it
had been found in the United States or not, could not
be ascertained."
