PICARIAN BIRDS AND PARROTS OF CEYLON. 245 
upwards. A. L. Butler reported it as common round Medagama 
in Uva, and describes the cry as a rapid “ coorroo, coorroo, 
coorroo.”” Legge also noticed a chuckling cry as fairly 
common in the northern forest tract and in Ratnapura, and 
attributed it to this species, which is more abundant than 
generally supposed. The nest is a small pad of dead leaves, 
lichen, &c., woven in with vegetable down, and placed in the 
fork of a sapling at some height from the ground. The 
breeding season is probably from Christmas to April. The 
single egg is pure white and glossless ; the texture is fine, but 
the shell is rather fragile and porous ; the shape is long and 
eylindrical, with little difference between the two ends. 
Average measurement about 1°19 by °80. 
Order TROGONES. 
Family TRoGoNID®. 
Genus Harpactes. 
Trogons. 
The Trogons form a well-marked group of forest birds 
found in the tropical regions of Asia and America, and in 
Africa south of the Sahara. They are noted for their brilliant 
colours, soft plumage, and tender skin, and may be told apart 
from all other birds by the structure of their feet. The first 
and second toes are turned backwards, the third and fourth 
forwards. Herein they differ from the zygodactylic orders, 
in which the first and fourth toes are turned backwards. The 
bill is short, strong, and wide ; the tip of the upper mandible is 
hooked and notched ; the nostrils and chin are covered with 
bristles. In the only Indian genus the wing is short and 
rounded ; the tail is long, with broad feathers, which are 
square-tipped in adults and pointed in young birds; the tarsi 
are short and half feathered ; the feet are small. 
All Indian species feed on insects, captured mainly while 
flying, but sometimes picked up from the ground. They breed 
in the hollows of rotten stumps or branches, laying three 
creamy white eggs on the bare wood. Only one species is 
found in Ceylon. 
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