HARPACTES. 339 



Order TROGONES. 



Family TROGONID.E. 



Harpactes erytlirocephalus (Gould). The Red-headed Trogon. 



Harpactes hodgsoni. Gould, Jerd. B. 2nd. i. p. 202 : Hume. Hough 

 Draft N. $ E. no. 116. 



Dr. Jerdon has the following remarks on the nidification of the 

 Bed-headed Trogon : " I had the eggs of this Trogon brought to 

 me at Darjeeling. They were said to have been taken from a 

 hole in a tree ; they were two in number, white, and somewhat 

 round. There was no nest, it was stated, only some soft scraping 

 of decayed wood." 



Mr. Hodgson notes that " this species begins to lay in April, 

 the young being ready to fly in June or July ; they scoop a hole 

 out in a decayed tree, digging down about 7 or 8 inches. The 

 eggs, three or four in number, are pure white, moderately broad 

 ovals, slightly pointed towards one end, and measure about 1*25 

 by 0*87 inch. They breed only once a year ; both male and female 

 assist in rearing the young ; as a rule, this species only breeds in 

 the lowest forest-clad hills, and the forests of the Terai." 



Mr. Gammie writes : " On the 19th May I found a breeding- 

 hole of this Trogon in the Ryeng valley (Sikhim), at about 2000 

 feet. It had been excavated by the bird itself in a dead and much 

 decayed tree-stump of only 4 feet in height and 9 inches diameter. 

 The hole was 7 inches deep by 3-5 inches wide. The entrance was 

 also 3*5 inches in diameter, and was within a foot of the top of 

 the stump. A few chips lay at the bottom of the hole, but there 

 was no other nesting-material. The stump was in a thin mixed 

 jungle of bamboos and small trees, a much more open situation 

 than I would have expected so shade-loving a bird to choose, but 

 probably it concerned itself more about the softness of the nesting 

 tree than its situation. In this case the stump was as soft a one 

 as could have been found in the whole valley. 



" The eggs were four in number and fresh. Four is, I believe, 

 the full complement." 



The eggs sent by Mr. Gammie were very J/erop*-like in 

 appearance. Very broad, nearly spherical ovals, white and glossy, 

 but the white is not quite so pure as in Merops, and on the con- 

 trary has a pale-creamy or ivory tinge, very apparent when the 

 eggs are laid, beside really pure white ones. They measured !! 

 by 0-94. 



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