HARPACTES KASUMBA. 



Kasumba Trog-on. 



Trogon Kasumba, Raffl. in Linn. Trans, vol. xiii. p. 282. 



fasciatus, Temm. PI. Col. 321.— Less. Traite d'Orn. p. 121. 



— Temminckii, Gould, Mon. of Trog. pi. 29. 



flagrans, Kuhl, Tydsch. Nat. Gesch. 1835, p. 336. 



Harpactes Kasumba, Blyth, Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, p. 80. 



- Temminckii Swains. Class, of Birds, vol. xi. p. 337.-Gray, List of Birds in Brit. Mus. part ii. sec. i. 

 p. 44. -Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 71, Harpactes, sp. 4, and vol. iii. App. p. 4. App. to 

 p. 71. 

 Kasumba, of the Sumatrans. 



Great confusion respecting the name of this species has existed from the days of the lamented Raffles to 

 the present time, and instead of its being cleared up, it would seem to have been added to by every writer 

 who has had occasion to mention the bird; I myself, among others, have fallen into error on the subject; 

 and even Mr. Blyth, after enumerating it under the name of 'Kasumba in his " Catalogue of the Birds in the 

 Museum of the Asiatic Society of Calcutta," states in an appendix that perhaps that name ought to give 

 place to that of Kondea, which name, I may remark, would seem not to be a scientific appellation, but merely 

 a trivial one applied to specimens in the Paris Museum. It will be seen that I have retained that of 

 Kasumba, which I think it likely was the one first assigned to it. 



The countries inhabited by this species are Malacca, Sumatra, and Borneo, from all of which I have 

 specimens in my own collection. 



In a letter lately received from Mr. Wallace, now (1856) engaged in exploring the Islands of the Indian 

 Archipelago, that gentleman, writing from Singapore, says, " You will think I have forgotten to write to you 

 about the Trogons, but I have not neglected the subject. I remained two months on this island, where the 

 jungle is now only to be found in small patches, but did not meet with any, and I doubt if there be a Trogon 

 in the island. At Malacca, however, from whence I have just returned, I met with them. I think there 

 are four species, but as I only obtained males of three, I cannot be certain. Two are of an ordinary size, and 

 two are smaller. One of the larger I take to be Harpactes Kasumba : I send you a coloured sketch of the 

 soft parts that you may make a correct drawing for your work. The habits and economy of the Indian 

 Trogons assimilate closely to those of the American." 



As nothing can exceed the beauty of this noble bird, the appearance the males must present in their 

 native forests cannot fail to be attractive in the extreme, especially when the rich scarlet colouring of their 

 breasts is contrasted with the equally brilliant green of the luxuriant vegetation of Malacca. 



The sexes present a marked difference in the colouring of their plumage, as will be seen on reference to 

 the opposite Plate, where they are accurately depicted. 



I believe that the habits of the Harpactes Kasumba are somewhat solitary, and that the bird seldom quits 

 the secluded parts of the forests which are its favourite place of resort. 



The male has the head, throat and chest jet-black ; breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts deep rose-red, 

 separated from the black of the chest by a crescentic band of white ; from below the eye round the back of 

 the neck a narrow band of red ; back and upper tail-coverts yellowish brown ; wings black, the coverts 

 and tertiaries transversely rayed with fine irregular lines of white, and the shafts of the primaries white at 

 the base ; two middle tail-feathers chestnut-brown, tipped with black ; the two rest on each side wholly 

 black, the remainder black at the base, and white for the rest of their length, with dark shafts ; orbits light 

 violet-blue, becoming of a more fleshy hue near the eyes ; bill blue ; gape light violet-blue ; irides dark 

 brown ; feet brown. 



. The female differs in having the head and throat greyish brown instead of black ; in the white band on 

 the breast being much less conspicuous, the under surface sandy brown ; and the markings of the wings 

 bolder, and of a sandy hue, instead of pure white ; in other respects she is very similar, but the colours are 

 less brilliant. 



The Plate represents the two sexes of the size of life. 



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