EXHIBIT AT PAN- AMERICAN" EXPOSITION. 195 



riaUs) of the pine forests of northern Mexico, the largest known 

 member of its family. The other species is the pygmy woodpecker 

 {Picumnus pygmaeus), from Brazil, one of the smallest of all wood- 

 peckers. Several other .species of woodpeckers were shown, including 

 two bright-colored species from Cuba. 



The avian fauna of Central America was prominently represented 

 by the resplendent trogon, or quezal (Pharomachrus mocinno), the 

 most gorgeous example of its family. It is a native of certain high 

 mountains of Central America, and is the national bird of Guatemala. 

 It is of a brilliant metallic green above and crimson below, with a 

 flattened crest and long streaming tail coverts extending ill feel 

 beyond the body. The Cuban trogon (Priotehts temnurus), which was 

 also shown, is confined to the island of Cuba and is noted for the pecul- 

 iar shape of the tail feathers, which look as if they had been notched at 

 the end with a pair of scissors. A small, plain-colored species, which 

 might easily be overlooked in a collection of this kind, is the crested 

 ovenbird of Brazil {Homorus cristatus), which is, however, notewor- 

 thy on account of its remarkable nest-building habits. These nests are 

 composed largely of sticks, some of them as thick as one's little finger 

 and 2 feet long, the whole structure resembling a barrel lying upon its 

 side. The nests are about the size of an ordinary flour barrel, while the 

 bird is no larger than our catbird. The jacamars constitute a family 

 of brilliantly colored tropical American species, related to the king- 

 fishers. The species, several of which were represented at Buffalo, 

 are all inhabitants of dense forest recesses, where they pass much of 

 their time perched on dead twigs near the ground. The most striking 

 species is the grand jacamar (Jacamarops aurea), of which several 

 specimens were shown. Themotmots, represented by several species, 

 are less gorgeous than the jacamars, but have similar habits. They 

 are noted particularly for their habit of trimming their tails, the two 

 central feathers of which are denuded of the webs for a distance of 

 about an inch at the ends. 



Among the numerous bright-colored members of the Tanager fam- 

 ily umy be mentioned the callistes (genus Calospiza), some of which 

 are exquisitely colored, the seven-colored calliste (Calospiza tatao) 

 being one of the most tastefully decorated. The red-eared calliste 

 (Chlorochrysa_phcenicotis) is unique in having on its shoulders a patch 

 of color not to be matched in any other bird. 



Of more brilliant colors, and in many ways the most remarkable 

 assemblage of birds to be found in the Western Hemisphere, is the 

 group known collectively as cotingas. In this family, grouped by 

 certain peculiarities of structure, may be found such singular birds as 

 the umbrella bird (Oephalopterus ornatus), the bell bird (Gasmorhyn- 

 chos tricaruncvlatus)) the bald fruit crow (Gymnocephalus culms), the 

 cock of the rock (JBupicola rupicola), etc., all remarkable for richness 



