THE OOLOGIST. 



]ireseijt known to Africa. They subsist j of Trogons in captivity, employing often as 

 upnn the various forms of insect nature, and ; many as several hundred men to tend and 

 the I'ruits always abundantin warm climates. ; feed them. 



The j\Iexicaii Tro;:i()n, an illustration of ^,^ 



tlie male of which Ave .irive, is' the only true 



iiir I of this family found to be an actuiil Instincts of Birds of Prey. 



lesident of the tei'ritory consideretl as the 



limits of North American birds; any oth- A cokkksponden't ot the Liverpool Jfer- 

 iTs which ha\e been obtained -within tiiese f;o'y/ writes : "' Having I'emarked that your 

 Itounds, are called extra-liniital. The bird correspondents of late have revived the Ait- 

 inider considei'atiou, is about twelve inches dubon-Waterton strife whether birds of pi'ey 

 long, of which the tail constitutes nearly are allured more by instinct of sight or 

 eight. The male liird is desci-ibed as fol- smell, I beg leave to make a few remarks 

 lows : Throat, ear-coverts and wings b!ack. that may be new to manv of your readers. 

 till,' Ibrmer fading into steel-green on the embodying the result of some attention to 

 chest and upper parts, the hitter spi'inkled tne special subject in dispute. In regard to 

 with a tine mottled j:ray ; two central tail- sight v. smell I submit that the larger birds 

 leathers green. tip])ed with lilack. the two of prey are Avont to mount guard over cer- 

 next on each side entirely black, oi'ten with tain detinite tracts, which tliey jealously 

 greenisli reflections ; the three outer feath- keep from invasion, soaring out of sight in 

 crs on each side, black. mt>ttled and tipped circles of vast area over their large quarrv 

 with white; primaries l»lack ; at a point just as the SparroAv Hawk, hunting on a less 

 above the breast, a crescent of white encir- ' scale, is seen to circle, or the Kestrel to hov- 

 cles the neck ; the breast, l)elly and under er, on a lower level in search of lizards and 

 tail-coverts are of a beautiful clear scarlet, fleld mice beneath. My argument on be- 

 I'ill yellow ; feet brown. . half of sight may be divided into three heads : 



This bird inhabits Mexico and Central First. Physiologically, the nasal organ is 

 America, b'ut is riu)re commonly found along not so strongly developed as the visual with 

 th(^ valley of the Uio (J-rande and in noi'th- the class in question ; second. The feathei'- 

 eastern Arizona. Like all the ncansurei^. ed foe can easily be cheated by any simple 

 this species has its toes in pairs. The bill shift which hides the object of pursuit ; third, 

 \< short and thick, resembling tliose of the Li very dry climates the newly killed cai-- 

 triie flycatchers ; it being in habits also, cases, though without smell, are at once 

 -imilar to those birds. The Mexican Tro- found out by the birds of prey where seem- 

 gon breeds, in the hollows of dead trees, in ingly none exist. The first head cannot be 

 which it deposits its eggs to the number of dealt with fully, without more techniealitv 

 three or f<mr, on the fine woi-m-eaten shav- than is fitting here, so I will not dwell up- 

 ings. They are invariably white. on it. On the second head I need but sav 



The prcjsent bird is extremely shy, and ; that the Andean lierdsmen are used to breed 

 secludes itself among the highest branches of : their cattle from black stock rather than 

 tall trees dm-ing the greater part of the day. ' light colored, so as to hide their calves from 

 In coimection with the Resplendent Trogon, : the Condors that soar, overhead, and 

 this bird formed the subject of many an- ' that game-keepers put bushes over their 

 cient Mexican and Aztec mossaics and em- I nests to cheat the neighboring Rooks of 

 blems. The tail-feathers of the former their dainty meal. Thirdly, in the Afri- 

 were esteemed by those old kings to be of ; can or Central Asia deserts, where the trav- 

 j)riceless value, and on account of the su- \ eler is often surprised to see the Vultm-e or 

 perstition which at ancient periods was very \ Eagle bear down upon the dying mule or 

 ]irevalent, they woidd not allow one to be j camel almost before he falls to the grotind, 

 killed. These ancient kings kept hundreds ; he will, if curious, liave marked, as|I have 



