TROGONS 197 



on wings and greenish on tail ; naked eyelids plain yellowish in lift-. 

 Length : 11.011-12.70, wing 5.12-5.(55, tail 6.25-7.00. 



lieinarks. — The black bill, absence of rufous on wings, and of blue and 

 wide white thumb marks on tail distinguish this from the yellow-billed 

 forms. 



Distribution. — Eastern North America, west to the eastern footbills of 

 the Rocky Mountains, and from Labrador, Manitoba, and Assiniboia 

 south in winter to the West Indies and the valley of the Amazon. Breeds 

 mainly in Transition zone. 



Nest. — Better built than that of the other species, its platform of 

 twigs being mixed with inner bark, rootlets, and weed stems, lined often 

 with catkins ; placed usually not over (5 feet from the ground in trees or 

 bushes, on logs, or even on the ground. Eggs : 2 to 5, bluish green. 



Food. — Largely caterpillars. 



The black-billed cuckoo closely resembles the yellow -billed in 

 general habits. Both birds have a trace of the parasitism of the old 

 world species, sometimes laying in each other's nests, and on rare 

 occasions depositing their eggs in nests of other species. This is 

 done more frequently by the black-billed, Major Bendire thinks. 

 He holds that the real cause for such unnatural behavior on their 

 part is not yet understood, as the cuckoos are most devoted parents. 



FAMILY TROGONIDiE : TROGONS. 



GEIVJTJS TROGON. 



389. Trogon ambiguus Gould. Copi-ery-tah^d Tkooox. 



Bill short and thick, edges serrated, gape bristled ; eyelids lashed ; 

 wings short and rounded ; tail long with broad feathers : feet small and 

 weak : plumage soft and lax. Adult wale : 

 face and throat black, bordered on breast 

 by white crescent ; rest of under parts rose 

 pink ; upper parts metallic bronzy green ; 

 wings mainly grayish ; tail witli middle 

 feathers shading from bronzy to rich copper color, broadly tipped with 

 black, outer feathers white, finely zigzagged with black. Adult female : 

 similar, but black of male replaced by gray, and metallic colors replaced 

 by grayi.sh brown, becoming reddisli brown <)ii middle tail feathei-s. 

 Young: head. neck, and chest dull brownish gray, most of under parts 

 grayish; eye rin<i and bar across ear coverts wliite; rest of upper ])arts 

 brown ; wings with large si)ots of biiftv and black ; tail much like adult 

 female. Length : 1 1.25-12.00. wing 5.1(i-5.50. tail r...50-7.20. 



JHstribution. — From southern Texas and Arizona south to Mexico. 



Food. — Fruit and grasshoppers and other insects. 



The trogon lives in pines in the mountains of southern Arizona. 

 Its note is described by Dr. Fisher as similar to that of a hen turkey. 

 The bird the doctor saw calling sat upright on a pine branch with 

 tail Imnging. and at each note threw back its head and j)(>inted its 

 bill to the sky like a peacock. 



