FAMILY TROGONIDjE 



coloration is always brilliant. Their food 

 consists both of insects and their larvae, and 

 fruits of various kinds. In habits they are 

 rather quiet and inactive. 



Their peculiarities and lack of near rela- 

 tives and the wide distribution of the family, 

 in spite of the few genera composing it, indi- 

 cate that the trogons are survivors of a much 

 larger group, most of whose members have 

 become extinct. 



In this family is the glorious Quetzal, 

 sacred bird of the Aztecs, and national em- 

 blem of Guatemala, a rare species, but found 

 in the mountains of Central America from 

 Guatemala to near the Canal Zone. 



Key to the Trogons 



A. Size noticeably larger and stouter; length about 

 320 mm. (12.60 in.) ; bill sharply serrate; abdomen 

 crimson (Curucujus). 



a. Chest and upper parts metallic green. 



b. White band between green of breast and crim- 

 son of abdomen 



C. melanurus macrourus, male 



bb. No white band C. m. massena, male 



aa. Chest and upper parts slate gray 



C. melanurus macrourus. C. m. massena, 

 females (the two species practically alike). 



AA. Size noticeably smaller and slenderer; length not 

 over 267 mm. (10.50 in.) ; bill not serrate; abdomen 

 yellow or orange (Trogon and Trogonurus}. 



a. Upper parts mostly metallic green. 



b. Under side of tail pure white; wings black; 



abdomen orange 



Trogon strigilatus chionurus, male 



bb. Under side of tail white barred with black; 

 abdomen paler than orange; vermiculation of 

 black and white on wings. 



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