94 



VERTEBRATA. 



THE TROOONS OR COUROUCOUS. 



These splendid birds are found in the tropical 

 regions of both hemispheres, but most of the 

 species inhabit South America. They frequent 

 the thickest parts of the forests, where they feed 

 principally upon insects, which they capture on 

 the wing and sometimes pick from the bark of 

 trees. Some of the species, liowevci-, derive 

 their chief nourishment from fruits and berries. 

 Tlicv lay their eggs in the holes of rotten trees, 

 upon the debris usually found in such situations, 

 and, like the woodpeckers, frequently enlarge 

 tlie holes by means of their strong bills. Their 

 crv is peculiar and melancholy, resembling the 

 word counmcotr, which has hence been applied 

 to them as a vei-nacular name. Their bills have 

 tufts of bristles at the base ; their plumage is 

 adorned with bright colors, and often most bril- 

 liantly metallic, and the beauty of their appear- 

 ance is frequently grciitly enhanced by the ele- 

 gance of their long tails. They vary consider- 

 ably in size, some of the smallest being little 

 larger than a sparrow, while the largest are of 

 the size of a pigeon. The ancient Mexicans 

 made exquisite feather pictures of the plumes of 

 these birds, and Montezuma was so delighted 

 with them that he kept an extensive aviary of 

 them. 



The Resplendent Trogon, T. resplendens, 

 has the plumage of a beautiful bronzed golden 

 green color; the two middle feathers of the tail, 

 which are much longer than the body and very 

 broad, give it a peculiarly graceful appearance. 

 It is a native of Guatemala, and is called by 

 the inhabitants. Que sal : its gorgeous plumes 

 are much sought after by the natives of that 

 country as ornaments; formerly they were only 

 allowed to be worn by persons of the highest 

 rank. They are exceedingly difficult to pro- 

 cure, from their usually frequenting the highest 

 trees of the forest, and when the collector has 

 succeeded in shooting them, they generally lose 

 a portion of their light plumage in their fall, 

 while the extraordinary tenderness of their skins 

 renders the operation of skinning them a most 

 difficult matter. 



Nearly foi'ty species of Trogon are known, 

 three-fourths of which belong to tropical Amer- 

 ica ; one species to Africa, and the rest to Asia 

 and the Asiatic islands. The habits of some of these are as remarkable as their plumage ; we 

 are told that the young of the T. Narina, of South America, immediately follow their parents 

 on the wing, after being hatched. One species, T. Mexicanus, is found on the Rio Grande. 



RESPLENDENT TROGON — MALE AND FEMALE. 



