on the Ornithology of Guatemala. 41 



tiore, maculis similibus minoribus variegato : frontis plumis 

 et mystacibus elongatis albis : lateribus capitis pallido rufo 

 striatis : subtus inteusius ferruginea^ ventre medio ciuna- 

 momescentiore : rostri nigri mandibula infeviore ad basin 

 flavicante : pedibus pallidis : long, tota 7-5, alje 3*4, caudae 

 3*0, rostri a rictu 1"2. 



Cuban, one ex. Tliere are examples of a Malacoptila in 

 the collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila- 

 delphia, U. S. A., which, according to my notes, agree with this 

 bird. They are marked as from Vera Paz. The nearest ally of 

 the present species is Lafresnaye's Malacoptila panamensis, from 

 which it may be distinguished by the absence of any flammula- 

 tions below. It is also not generally unlike M. mysticalis of 

 New Grenada, but is easily distinguished from it by its rufous 

 tail— P. L. S. 



Fam. TROGONID^E. 



67. Trogon mexicanus, Sw. sp. 215. 



Volcan de Fuego. The colour of the eyelid of this species, 

 both in the male aiid female, almost exactly corresponds with 

 the red colour of the breast in each, that of the male being much 

 more brilliant than that of the female, in fact bearing the same 

 ratio to it as the colour of its breast to that of the feraale^s breast. 

 It is probable that in many cases the colour of the soft parts 

 about the eye, &c., may be determined by reference to some 

 portion or portions of the plumage where it is exactly repre- 

 sented. In the Trogons this seems eminently the case. A few 

 days ago I shot a pair of Trogon caligatus, in which the colour 

 of the eyelid of the male was exactly represented by the colour 

 of the yellow breast ; that of the female by the fainter yellow 

 of its breast. The same is the case with T. jmella. I think, 

 therefore, that with tolerable safety the eyelids of these American 

 Trogons may be said to correspond with the colour of the breast. 

 It certainly is true in all cases which I have noticed. As regards 

 the theory itself, though of course there must be many excep- 

 tions, I may here state that the colour of bare skin round the 

 eye of Aulacorhamphus prasinus is exactly repeated in the under- 

 tail coverts, that of Rnmphastos carinatus in the throat, the blue 

 being repeated in the colour of the legs. This practice of re- 



