THE TROGON. 107 



as if impelled by hunger, he makes a dart, seizes 

 it, and conveys it to the branch, where he again 

 settles himself while he is eating it. 



After a long pause he repeats the effort, and 

 so by degrees satisfies his hunger. 



He is very solitary and rather mournful in his 

 habits. Now and then he utters a plaintive cry ; 

 but his greatest pleasure seems to be in dozing 

 lazily on his branch. He dozes sometimes a little 

 too long, for a passer-by, if there be one in so 

 remote a spot, will knock him off his perch and 

 carry him away captive. 



You must not think that the Trogon lives only 

 on fruit. He has no objection to insects, and 

 watches them, as they flit about, in the same grave 

 and solemn manner. 



By-and-by he bestirs himself, and darts after 

 them with surprising agility. But he will be sure 

 very soon to return to his perch. He cannot fly 

 far ; his flowing plumes impede his progress. He 

 will, however, migrate from one part of the coun- 

 try to the other. He arrives at the end of his 

 journey when some particular fruit is ripe of which 



