164 THE EESPLENDENT TROGON. 



have been rather more than sixteen inches in length, being precisely double the length of 

 the present pages. 



Of all the birds of the air there is hardly any Avhich excites so much admiration as 

 the Eesplendent Trogon. Many, such as the humming-bird, are gifted with greater 

 brilliancy of colour ; but for gorgeousness of hue, exquisite blending of tints, elegance of 

 contour, and flowing grace of plumage, there is no worthy rival in all the feathered tribe. 

 This magnificent bird is a native of Central America, and was in former days one of the 

 most honoured by the ancient Mexican monarchs, who assumed the sole right of wearing 

 the long plumes, and permitted none but the members of the royal family to decorate 

 themselves with the flowing feathers of this beautiful bird. 



In all the Trogons the skin is very delicate, and the feathers are so loosely attached 

 that they are always liable to be lost when the bird is handled ; but in the Eesplendent 

 Trogon the skm is so singularly thin that it has been not inaptly compared to wet blotting- 

 paper, and the plumage has so slight a hold upon the skin, that when the bird is shot, 

 the feathers are plentifully struck from their sockets by its fall and the blows which it 

 receives from the branches as it comes to the ground. These peculiarities render the 

 preservation of the skin no easy task ; and the difficulty of removing the skin without 

 injury is so well known to the natives, that they almost invariably dry the body without 

 attempting any further preservation. 



This species is fond of inhabiting the densest forests of Southern Mexico, and generally 

 haunts the topmost branches of the loftiest trees, where it clings to the boughs like a 

 parrot, and traverses their ramifications with much address. It does not seem to expend 

 much time on the wing, and to all appearance feeds more on vegetable diet than is the 

 case with its relatives. 



The colour of the adult male bird is generally of a rich golden green on the upper 

 parts of the body, including the graceful rounded crest, the head, neck, throat, chest, and 

 long lancet-shaped plumes of the shoulders. The breast and under parts are brilliant 

 scarlet, the central feathers of the tail are black, and the exterior white with black bars. 

 The wonderful plumes which hang over the tail are generally about three feet in length, 

 and in particularly fine specimens have been known to exceed that measurement by four 

 inches, so that the entire length of the bu^d may be reckoned at four feet. The bill is 

 light yellow. 



As is often the case with birds, where the male is remarkable for the beauty of his 

 plumage, the female is altogether an ordinary and comparatively insignificant bird, at 

 least to human eyes, although beautiful enough in those of her mate. She possesses only 

 the rudiments of a crest or elongated plumes, as may be seen by reference to the engraving, 

 where both sexes are represented. The colour of the upper surface is nearly the same as 

 that of the male, although hardly so vivid, and the head, throat, and chest are of a 

 decidedly dull green. The breast and abdomen are greyish brown, and the under taU-coverts 

 are scarlet. The elongated feathers of the shoulders are not so long as in the male, nor 

 so sharply pointed, nor so vividly coloured. The central feathers of the tail are black, and 

 the exterior are white marked with black bars ; the bdl is black. The young of the 

 first year, whether male or female, assume this dress, and do not put on their full, glory of 

 apparel until they have passed through the moult of the second year. 



In reviewing this group of birds, the thoughtful observer cannot fail to be struck with 

 wonder and admiration at the extreme beauty of their forms, and the indescribably 

 gorgeous hues with which their plumage is interpenetrated. The mode in which these 

 marvellous colours are produced, and the reason for which their existence is necessary, 

 are two of the many mysteries which abound in aU nature, and which excite to the 

 highest degree the minds of those who. care to look below the surface, and who take more 

 interest in causes than in effects. 



What strange vital chemistry is that, which, in addition to supplying the ordinary 

 substances of the body, extracts from dead insects and gathered fruits the glowing hues 

 which bedeck the plumage of these resplendent birds, and lays every tint in a true and 

 just gradation which sets at defiance the brush and pencil of the most accomplished 

 artist ? What is the reason — for we may be assured that the Creator does nothing without 



