HARPACTES. 405 



SUB-ORDERCOCCYGES HETERODACTYL^E. 

 Family TROGONID^:. 



Bill short, stout, somewhat triangular, strong and curved from the base, the 

 tip and sometimes the margin toothed ; gape wide; nostrils and base of bill 

 concealed by long tufts of bristles ; wings moderate or short ; tarsus short 7 

 partially feathered ; toes short, two before and two behind, inner toe being 

 turned backwards ; tail long and broad of 12 feathers j plumage soft ; skin 

 tender and thin. 



Gen. HarpacteS, Swaimon. 



Bill strong, broad and deep, conic and much curved ; nostrils partially 

 covered by hairs ; tarsus half -feathered ; orbital region nude. Birds of rich 

 plumage, living in dense forests, and feeding on insects, which, like the Capri- 

 mulgida, they capture in the air, 



983. Harpactes fasciatus, (Gmel\ Jerd., B. Ind. i. p. 201, 



No. 115; Hume, Str. F. vii. p. 507. Trogon Malabaricus, Gould, Monog. 

 pi. 31. The MALABAR TROGON. 



Entire head and neck black ; rest of the upper plumage castaneous olive- 

 brown ; lesser wing coverts, tertiaries and some of the secondaries finely 

 streaked with black and white ; breast, belly and lower parts fine crimson red ; 

 tail with the centre feathers more chestnut than the back ; rest black and 

 white. The/emale has the head and neck of the same colour as the body, 

 and the wing coverts and tertiaries are finely banded black and brown ; lower 

 plumage ochreous yellow. Bill deep blue ; orbital skin smalt blue : irides 

 dark brown ; feet light lavender-blue. (Jerd.} 



Length. 12 inches; tail 6; wing 5; tarsus 0*6; bill at front 0-5; at 

 gape ro. 



Hab. Malabar, Central India and Ceylon. Found in the forests of Mala- 

 bar from the extreme south to about N. lat. 17, reaching up the ghauts and 

 hill ranges to at least 3,000 feet. Jerdon adds that it prefers the more elevated 

 situations, and keeps to the thickest parts of the woods. It is usually solitary, 

 and sometimes in pairs. Layard says it is found in small .parties of three or 

 four and feeds on various insects. 



984- Harpactes erythrocephalus, Gould, Monog. Trog. 2nd 



Relit., pi. 43 , Hume and Dav., Str. F. vi. p. 498 ; Hume, Sir. F. viii. 

 p. 85 ; Oates, Str. F. viii. p. 164 ; Bingham, Str. F. ix. p. 152 ; Hume and 

 IngUs, Str. F. ix. p. 246 ; Gates, JB. Br. Burm. ii. p. 99. Trogon erythro- 

 cephalus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1834, p. 25; id., Mon. Trogon, 1st Edit. pi. 33. 

 Trogon Hodgsoni, Gould, t. c. 1st Edit. pi. 34. Harpactes Hodgsoni, Gould, 

 t. c. 2nd Edit. pi. 42 ; Jerd., B. Ind. i. p. 2O2, No. 1 16 ; Hume, Nests and 

 Eggs Ind. B. p. 99; Blylh, B. Burm. p. 82; Hume, Str- F. iii. p. 47 ; 

 Hume and Davison, Str. F. vi. p. 66. The RED-HEADED TROGON, 



