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the crown and nape ; the lovely plumes of the upper tail coverts are fully a 

 yard long. Words fail to paint this glorious tropical gem. It ia a native of 

 Central America. 



Mexican Trogon: Another species, but little behind the preceding 

 in gorgeous beauty — head, neck and upper back bright green, a white collar 

 crosses the throat and sides of neck ; remainder of under surface rich 

 scarlet ; underside of tail mottled and barred black, bluish and white ; bill 

 legs and feet yellow. The tips of the tail feathers are rounded, those of the 

 Cuban being truncated and the other two species flat and pointed. 



The wings are feeble, and they do not keep on the wing for any 

 length of time, only indulging in short flights. Food: fruit, berries and 

 insects— the latter are taken on the wing, from the foliage of trees and also 

 according to the Misses Kirby, by clinging to the bark, Woodpecker fashion, 

 and digging with the bill. They mest in holes of decayed trees, the eggs 

 being laid on the rotten wood — often an ants' nest is taken possession of 

 and altered and adapted to the purpose of rearing a family. 



THE GIANT BARBET (Megaloeuta virens). A specimen in 

 exceptionally fine condition was exhibited at the recent L-C.B.A. Show- 

 This is one of the least gorgeous of a fine and interesting family. This 

 species is also known as the Great Himalayan Barbet. The bill is shaped 

 like a Toucan's, and is yellow with a light horn coloured tip. Head indigo 

 blue, with lighter blue markings at bottom of neck. 



THE BEARDED SCALY- FRO NTE D FINCH {Spot opipes fron- 

 talis). This species was unknown to English Aviculture when two or three 

 pairs came to hand; of these an odd male went to the London Zoo, and 

 being in the " Small Birds' House," when it arrived I was so struck with its 

 appearance and rarity that I asked Mr. Goodchild to make a drawing of it 

 and the result accompanies these notes. I have also reproduced, for com- 

 parison purposes, the better known Scaly-crowned Finch* (S. sqiiamijrons). 

 It is a much larger bird than squamifrons, and to my mind equally 

 attractive, the rusty browns of the upper surface, with the colder coloured 

 portions of the plumage forming a most pleasing harmony. It would 

 appear as if they are less bright in winter, judging by the Zoo specimen — 

 the markings on the front of the crown and on the moustachial stripes 

 were pure white and were more spots than scalings, but at the present time 

 they are only whitish and form a margin round each of the frontal feathers. 

 If the bird survives it will be of much interest to note to what extent this 

 may he true ; the li B.M.C." makes no mention of any such distinction. 



Description. Adult male. From the Zoo specimen as it appeared on 

 arrival. The upper surface is mostly light brown, which is also the colour 

 of the scapulars and wing coverts, these latter having whitish margins; 

 bastard wing, primary coverts and flights dark brown, with light brown 

 margins; forehead black, with small white tips to the feathers producing a 



* The publishers of Cage Birds kindly loaned the drawing- from which the block was made. 



