TROGON SURUCURA, Vieill. 
Surucua Tro£*on. 
Specific Character. 
Mas 
Trog. vertice, cervice, pectoreque 
viridihus ; facie guttureque nigt 
dorso 
viridi in cosrideum ad uropygium vergente 
duabus coerulescenti-viridibus, duabus 
dibus 
mgr IS 
dimidio basali nigro 
remigibus nigrescenti-brunneis, albo ad pogonia externa fmbriatis ; secundariis aldque 
nigro alboque lineolatim punctatimque variis ; abdominis medio tectricibusque caudce 
ferioribus 
rufescenti-brunneae 
Foem 
Fidig 
« 
albidum ; pedes saturate bru 
ferioribus 
alis brunnes- 
fimbriatis, secundariis plumisque cceteris cinereo-albido ft 
rectricibus nigrescenti-brunneis ; intt 
basin versus pogoniorum internorum. 
Rostrum cinereo-albidum. 
nigro apiculatis, reliquis albo fimbr 
on the rump ; the two middle tail-feathers bluish green, the two next on each side with 
their outer webs only bluish green, the inner black, the whole six tipped with black ; the 
three outer feathers on each side have their basal half black, the remainder white; prima- 
ries blackish brown bordered with white on their exterior edges ; secondaries and upper 
part of the wing freckled with markings of black and white ; centre of the abdomen and 
under tail-coverts crimson scarlet ; bill yellowish white ; irides deep reddish brown ; feet 
dark brown. 
Female. Whole of the head, neck, chest, back and rump sooty grey ; lower part of the belly 
and under tail-coverts scarlet ; wings brownish black, primaries edged with white ; the 
secondaries and upper part of the wings transversely rayed with greyish white ; six centre 
tail-feathers blackish brown tipped with black, three outer feathers on each side blackish 
brown margined on their exterior edges and partly so on their inner ones with white; bill 
greyish white. 
Total length, lOf inches ; bill, 1 ; wing, 5 ; tail, 5i ; tarsi, i. 
Le Surucua. Azara, Voy. dans I’Amerique Meridionale, tom. iv. No. cclxx. 
Ibid., Sonnini’s Translation, tom. iv. p. 41 . 
Trogon Surucura. Vieill., L’Encyclopedie Methodique, tom. 3. p. 1362. 
I HAVE not the slightest hesitation in asserting this species of Trogon to be the Surucua of Azara, from whose 
elaborate work I am consequently induced to insert the following nearly literal translation. 
After informing us that Surucua is the native name of this bird in Paraguay, he proceeds to state that “ it 
is not common, and it does not quit the largest woods. It generally remains on the upper portions of the 
trees without descending to the lower branches or to the earth : it sits a long time motionless, watching for 
insects which may pass within its reach, and which it seizes with adroitness ; it is not gregarious, but dwells 
either in solitude or in pairs ; its flight, which is rapid and performed in vertical undulations, is not prolonged. 
These birds are so tame as to admit of a near approach ; I have seen them killed with a stick They do not 
migrate, and they are never heard except in the love season ; their note then consists but of the frequent repe- 
tition of the syllables pio in a strong, sonorous and melancholy voice : the male and female answer each other. 
They form their nest on the trees by digging into the lower part of the nest of a species of ant known by the 
name of cupiy, until they have made a cavity sufficiently large, in which the female deposits in the month of 
September two white eggs according to some, and four according to others. I have seen the male clinging 
to a tree, after the manner of the Woodpeckers, occupied in digging a nest with his beak, while the female 
remained tranquil on a neighbouring tree.” 
Azara states that he has only seen this bird from Paraguay ; I have, however, received it from the southern 
parts of the Brazils, and a single specimen formed part of the fine collection made by Capt. P. P. King during 
his survey of the Straits of Magellan. Although I have not been able to ascertain from what precise locality 
Capt. King’s specimen was procured, I am inclined to believe that it has a more extensive range than is gene- 
rally suspected. 
I 
