31-i THE FEATHERED TRIHES. 



of light gray, the lower part and vent scarlet; wings black, slightl}- freckled witli brown 

 on the outer edges of the secondaries and shoulders ; the outer edges of the primaries 

 fringed with white; two middle tail-feathers chesnut-brown, tipped with black ; the two 

 next on each side wholly black; the remainder strongly barred with black and white for 

 nearly their whole length; bill }'ello^^•, clouded with brown." 



THE AFKK'AN TKOflON.* 



The locality of tliis bird is South Africa. The bill of the male yellow, with a tinge of 

 blue ; the whole of the head, throat, chest, shoulders, back, and upper tail-coverts, are 

 resplendent green ; the breast and under surface bright blood-red ; the wings brown, the 

 greater coverts and secondaries powdered with gi'ayish white, the outer edge of each 

 feather having a tinge of metallic green ; two centre feathers of the tail dark purplish 

 green, two next on each side dark olive green, the three outer on each side dark green at 

 their base, largely tijjped with white ; feet light brownish yellow. 



In the female the upper surface and tail closely resemble those of the male ; round the 

 eye and throat rufous brown, becoming paler on the chest, which is slightly tinted with 

 rosy pink ; lower part of the abdomen and tail-cdverts deep rose-red. The total length 

 is eleven inches and a quarter. 



Xarina, whose name this, the only ^Vtrican species, bears, was a Gonaqua Hottentot girl, 

 whose charms and manners ajjpear to have produced a great impression on Le Vaillant, 

 and he devotes some pages to her in his Travels. 



Mr. Gould quotes him for information respecting the habits and economy of this bird. 

 Its favourite haunts are the thickest parts of the forest ; and there it sits, nearly motion- 

 less, on a low, dead branch during mid-day : in the morning and evening it captures its 

 food, consisting chiefly of locusts, beetles, and other winged insects, with the addition 

 of caterpillars. Its flight is short and rapid ; and it darts from its chosen perch on every 

 passing insect, returning to the station which it had left, or settling near it. Its haunts 

 are described as being in the extensive woods called Autcmiquoi, and in those on the 

 banks of the Gamtoos River, in the Caffi-e country. During the pairing season the male, 

 which is at other times mute, utters frequently a melancholy cry. The eggs, four in 

 uiuul)er, nearly round, and of a ros)^ white hue, are laid in a nest in the hole of a tree, 

 and the female sits for twenty days. The account given of the young is extraordinary ; 

 for we find it recorded that the " moinoit they are excluded they take fliglit, and follow 

 their parents for a considerable period." 



■IHE ASIATIC TUOCOX. 



Of the Asiatic trogons, we may take an example in the Tnitjoii {Apalodcrnui) 

 liriiiirarfffii of Temminck. The bill is a bi'ight reddish orange ; the lop of the head, 

 back, and upper tail-coverts dark green ; the throat yellow ; the ear-covcrts, sides of the 

 neck, and chest, olive-brown ; the belly and under surface yellow, becoming rich orange 

 on the sides; the tarsi are yellow; and the bare skin round the eye blue; the total 

 length is from twelve inches and a half lo thirteen inches and a half. 



The young are similar to the adult, particulaily iu (he colours of the back and tail, a 

 circumstance, Mr. Goidd observes, whicli rarely occuis in the family; as in uU the 

 trogons, when the plumage of the female difl'ers much lidui (hat of the male, the young 

 birds gem^rally resemble the former ; while, as in the preseni instance, wlx-re (lu! se.xes 

 are Tiearly alike, (he j'ouug partake of (lie adult covering, dirt'ering only in the nuirkings 

 of the wings and the rufous-brown (inl of the breast. 



• 'rrogou (.\])nl(Kl('riiKi) Nnrimi. -I.r \n\l\. 



