BEAUTIFUL TROGON. —CaZimw anliaijmus. 



But when the dusk approaches, the Malabar Trogon shakes off its drowsiness, and becomes 

 one of the most spirited and active of birds, flitting from branch to branch, and tree to 

 tree, or traversing the boughs in search of its prey, with wonderful adroitness, and almost 

 meteoric rapidity. 



The head and neck of the adult male bird are deep sooty black, and the back and 

 upper surface are brownish yellow, A white crescent-shaped stripe runs round the chest, 

 and separates the black hue of the throat from the brilliant scarlet of the breast and 

 remainder of the under surface. The primary quill feathers of the wings are black 

 edged with white, and the centre of the wings is pencilled with very delicate white lines 

 on a blacker ground. The tail is boldly marked with chestnut and black, and is decorated 

 with white tips at the extremity of the feathers. The bill and the space round the eyes 

 are light blue. The female is easily distinguished from her mate by the duller hue of 

 her plumage, and the absence of the beautiful scarlet which decorates the abdomen of the 

 male bird. 



Seveeal of the Trogons are distinguished from their relatives by the length and 

 downy looseness of many of the feathers, more especially the lance-shaped feathers of 

 the shoulders, and the elongated upper tail-coverts. On account of this structure of the 

 plumage, they are gathered into a separate genus under the appropriate title of Calurus, 

 or Beautiful-tailed Trogons. 



The first of these birds, the Beatjteful Teogon, is a native of South America, and 

 well deserves its name, as it is not only richly gorgeous in the colours of its plumage, but 

 is also elegant in form. On account of the looseness of its feathers it is not able to chase 



