HARPACTES ORESKIOS. 



Mountain Trogon. 



Trogon oreskios, Temm. PL Col. 181.— Id. Gen. Courouc, sp. 8.— Steph. Cont. of Shaw's Gen. Zool., vol. xiv. 

 part 1, p. 220.— Less. Traite d'Orn., p. 121.— Gould, Mon. Trog., pi. 36. 



Harpactes Gouldii, Swains. Class, of Birds, vol. ii. p. 337. 



oreskios, Gould, Mon. Trog., syn. spec. Harpactes, sp. 8.— Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 71, 



Harpactes, sp. 8.— lid. List, of Spec, of Birds in Coll. Brit. Mus., part ii. sect. i. p. 45.— Blyth, Cat. of 

 Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, p. 80.— Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., torn. i. p. 151, Harpactes, 

 sp. 8.— Horsf. and Moore, Cat. of Birds in Mus. East-Ind. Comp., vol. ii. p. 716. 



Trogon {Harpactes) oreskios, Gould, Mon. Trog., List of Plates, no. 36. 



Oreskios Gouldi, Bonap. Consp., vol. Zygod. p. 14, gen. 5 d. 41. 



Orescius Gouldi, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein., Theil iv. p. 161. 



It is somewhat singular that neither Sir Stamford Raffles nor Dr. Horsfield has furnished us with any 

 particulars respecting this species of Trogon, since it is an inhabitant of the island of Java, to which the 

 researches of both those departed gentlemen were principally directed. I believe that the East-India 

 Museum, which is so rich in many other birds from that island, does not contain a single example of the 

 present one. That it is tolerably common there, is certain ; for a large number of skins have been from time 

 to time transmitted thence to Europe ; and at the present moment I have four very fine skins from that island 

 lying before me, and it is from these that my figures in the accompanying Plate have been taken. I mention 

 this because Mr. Blyth, in a note to me, says the specimens of " H. oreskios in Mr. Wallace's collection 

 from Java are distinct from the Burmah specimens figured in your Monograph of the Trogonidse " ; I think, 

 however, that Mr. Blyth must in this instance be mistaken ; for if a comparison be instituted between the 

 figures alluded to and those in the opposite Plate, it will be seen that they do not differ. Java is certainly 

 the country of the bird here represented: if the bird from the Malayan peninsula should, after a careful 

 comparison, prove to be sufficiently different to warrant its being considered specifically distinct, a figure 

 of it will be found in the present work. 



The Harpactes oreskios differs from all its congeners in the absence of any naked skin round the eyes ; 

 it is also markedly different in its colouring, orange taking the place of scarlet in the other members of the 

 genus, particularly on the breast and under surface. On the whole it is a richly coloured bird, and must 

 be very beautiful in a state of nature ; but with the departure of life the glory of its plumage disappears, 

 never again to be seen in dried skins. 



The sexes offer the usual differences, the female being less brilliant, and having the wings barred with 

 yellow and brown instead of black and white. 



When treating of this species in the 'Planches Coloriees/ Temminck states that science is indebted to 

 MM. Diard and Reinwardt for the first knowledge of its existence ; and Kuhl informs us that it inhabits 

 woods and mountains, and subsists on insects. 



The male has the crown of the head, throat, and chest greenish yellow ; back and upper tail-coverts rich 

 deep chestnut; wings black, their centres rayed with strong bars of white; primaries margined externally 

 with white ; two centre tail-feathers rich deep chestnut, crossed at the tip with a narrow band of black, 

 the two next on each side black ; three outer feathers black at the base and white at the tip ; breast and 

 flanks rich orange, becoming paler on the belly and vent ; thighs black ; bill black at the tip, yellow at the 

 base ; legs and feet flesh-colour. 



The female has the head, chest, and all the upper surface dull brown, becoming richer on the lower part 

 of the back and the two middle tail-feathers; the transverse marks on the centre of the wings yellow instead 

 of white, and the under surface yellow, inclining to orange only on the flanks. 



The figures represent the two sexes, of the size of life. The plant is the Hoya (Otostemmd) lacunosa. 



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