150 The Brccd'iui:^ of the Indian Sliama. 



second toe beini;- reversed an arrangement unique anion!;" 

 the birds. 'I'hey live in tlie lliick forest and feed principally up- 

 on fruit and insects which they take on the winj;-. 'i'heir flii^ht 

 is noiseless and rapid but short and jerky. They are generally 

 silent but sometimes cluck, wliistle or chatter. They lay their 

 roundish egys of white, light blue or l)uff. in holes of trees, 

 which they will make or enlarge on a rotten tree or stump. 

 While most of the Trogons belong to America, species, gen- 

 erally of a more sober hue, are found in Africa. India, China, 

 and the East. That they are ancient forms is shown by the 

 discovery of the Trogon gnUiciis in the lower Miocene of 

 France. The order includes some hfty species, included in 

 five genera. 



Trogons — (Colonial). Trogonidac 



Quezal or Long-tailed Trogon (?) f'Imroiuacnis mociuno. 



Masked Trogon Troi^ou personatus. 



drecn-breasted Trogon ,, atricollis. 



Purple-breasted ,, ,, viridis. 



Blue-headed „ ,. meridonalis. 



Red-breasted ,, ,, melamirus. 



To be continued. 



0-M-^ 



The Breeding of the Indian Shamah. 



By G. E. Low, 



A cock Indian .Shamah has now been in my possession for 

 somewhere about four years, and, although very anxious to 

 secure a mate for him, I never had an opportunity of doing so 

 until the autumn of last year, when, through the kindness of 

 our Hon. Editor, a hen became my property. She was charm- 

 ingly tame from the very hrst. and, although kept in different 

 cages during the winter, the pair saw quite a lot of each other 

 from time to time. The cock always became wildly excited 

 when the hen appeared, breaking forth into excited singing and 

 contracting all his feathers until he looked exceedingly slim 

 and smart. The hen answered back from my hand in her own 

 very pretty song whicli, is (luitr as melodious in its way as any 

 of the numerous refrains the cock produces. 



