TROGON AMBIGUUS. 
Doubtful Trog’on. 
Specipic Character. 
Trog. facie, capite, guttureque nigris ; pectore, cervice, dorso, tectricibusque caudce superioribus 
viridibiis ; alls brimnescenti-nigris, in medio cinereis lineis gracilibus f 
trans- 
versim not at is ; 
igibus externe albo fimbriat is 
duabus intermediis 
riimque duarnm pogoniis externis cupreo-viridibus 
apicibus nigris, reliquis ad 
numerosis sparsis nigris. 
Rostrum flavum ; tarsi brunnei. 
nigris, ad apicem 
pogoniis internis omniumque 
in medio albis maculis parvis 
Bill bright yellow; face, top of the head, and throat black; chest, back of the neck, back, and 
upper tail-coverts green ; wings brownish black, the primaries having their outer edges 
fringed with white ; secondaries and centres grey, finely marked with zigzag transverse 
lines of black ; two middle tail-feathers green with bronzy reflections ; the two next green 
with bronzy reflections on their outer edges only ; the inner webs black ; the three outer 
ones on each side black at their base and white at the tip, the middle portion being 
minutely dotted with black on a white ground ; feet brown. 
Total length about 12 inches ; wing, to 5i; tail, 7t. 
Trogon ambiguus. Gould, Proceedings of Zook Soc., Part III. 
% 
Those who have had opportunities for studying nature are well aware how slight occasionally are the shades 
of difference between closely-allied species : it might be objected that these differences may be merely casual, 
or those of variety only ; but when we find that they constantly obtain in two birds brought from two very 
distinct countries, and that by attending to their markings we should be able to assign to each its peculiar 
locality, the objection falls to the ground : it is true that the same species may differ in the intensity of its 
colouring, from the influence of temperature, air, and food, but it will seldom be found to vary in the character 
of its permanent markings. 
It is upon these views that I have ventured to separate this bird from the Trogon elegans, to which it so 
closely assimilates that it requires an experienced eye to note the points of difference ; these points consist in 
the obscure and pale, but finely-dotted appearance of the outer tail-feathers of Trog. ambiguus, in opposition 
to the strong and well-defined black bars on the same part in Trog. elegans ; while at the same time the 
centre of the wing is much more finely and minutely barred in the former than in the latter. Had I seen only 
a single individual of each of these birds, I might have been in doubt on the subject ; but my comparisons 
having been made upon individuals of all ages, I feel but little hesitation in assigning to the present bird, at 
least provisionally, the rank of a distinct species. 
The localities in which these two birds appear to be indigenous are distinctly separated from each other ; 
all the examples I have seen of Trogon ambiguus having been exclusively received from the northern states 
of Mexico, while the Trogon elegans is strictly limited to the southern. 
The Plate represents an adult male. 
