1 8 PIC A R IAN 



Central and South America, where they are represented by some twenty -four 

 species, ranging as far south as Southern Brazil and Paraguay. They are all 

 birds of moderate size, with metallic blue or green colours above, and the breast 

 and abdomen either bright yellow, scarlet, or blood-red. The females differ from 

 the males in their duller plumage and the colour of the tail; the latter being 

 either chestnut, grey, or blackish, whereas in the males it is as brilliant as the 

 rest of the upper-parts, being either green, blue, or purple. The habits of these 

 trogons seem everywhere to be the same; the birds affecting forest-districts, 

 and feeding almost entirely on fruit and berries. They are described as rather 

 stupid, and not even startled by the report of a gun, so that a whole flock may be 

 shot out of the same tree. Most of the species go about in pairs, but are occa- 

 sionally seen in small flocks, sometimes frequenting the lower branches of trees, 

 but more often the middle and higher levels, where they sit motionless, or utter 

 their curious notes at intervals. Mr. Richmond mentions that when in Nicaragua, 

 a trogon flew into his house ; but in most parts of South America these birds are 

 inhabitants only of the virgin forests, extending their range to a considerable 

 altitude on some of the mountains. In Peru, Mr. Stolzmann met with several 

 species, on some of which he has given short notes. The only example of 

 T. caligatus obtained during his travels was shot from a considerable height on 

 a tree, w^hen he had heard its cry repeated at intervals for the space of a couple 

 of hours ; it resembled the words cou-cou-cou-cou-co-co-co-co, the second half 

 being uttered in a lower tone than the first. Of another kind ( T. melanurus), 

 his companion, Mr Jelski, writes that it was not rare, and allowed of an easy 

 approach, flying off to take up another perch in the neighbourhood of its previous 

 one, always uttering its note cou-cou-cou-cou-cou. Its flight resembles that of a 

 magpie, and the beating of the wings is distinctly heard; from time to time it 

 called ke-ke-ke, lowering the tail at the same time, seldom flying more than a 

 distance of fifty paces at a time, and preferring the lower branches of the trees. 

 In Costa Rica, Mr. Nutting met with three species of trogons, which seem to differ 

 somewhat in habits. Of the Massena trogon (T. massena) he writes : " I have 

 never seen the species associating in flocks as the others do. On the contrary, it 

 seems to be rather a silent bird, preferring the deep recesses of the tropical 

 forests. Its note is a kind of clucking noise, hard to describe ; and its native 

 name is Aula. In common with all the species of the genus, it seems to be 

 rather a stupid bird, hardly ever taking alarm at the approach of man " ; the 

 black-headed trogon (T. melanocephalus), very abundant in Costa Rica, being 

 often seen in flocks of a dozen or more, and commonly found in the dry open 

 woods away from water. It has a sort of chattering note, low and soft. In the 

 same situations is also found T. caligatus, which is the only species giving utter- 

 ance to a clear, distinct whistle. 



In Africa the trogons are represented by three species belonging 

 ' to the genus Hapaloderma, and characterised by the naked space 

 behind the eye, as also by the colour of the tail, which is the same in both sexes, 

 the three central pairs of tail-feathers being purplish or greenish, without any 

 black bands at the end of the central ones. The Narina trogon (H. narina) ranges 

 from Bogosland in North-Eastern Africa throughout East Africa to Natal, extend- 



