296 Passeues. BIRDS. Ai.cEDiNto.E. 
of adorning themselves with tufts of the long and 
brilliant tail-coverts. The tenderness of the skin, and 
the ease with which the feathers are detached, render 
the skinning of these birds a very difficult operation, 
and this applies to the whole of tlie Trogons. Most of 
the specimens obtained from the Indians of America 
are simply dried without skinning. Several other 
species of Trogons, scarcely yielding to the preceding 
in beaut}'’, are found in the tropical parts of America ; 
but to these our space prevents our alluding. We shall 
therefore pass to — • 
THE NAMNA TEOGON {Apaloderma narina), the 
only African species. This bird approaches very 
closely in its general characters to its American rela- 
tions, diffei'ing only in some particulars of little import- 
ance. Like them it displays a billliant lustre on its 
green plumage, which is replaced by a deep rose tint 
on the lower parts of the body. The greater wing- 
coverts are grey, with fine black lines and dots ; the 
wings are black. The four middle feathers of the tail 
are of a fine golden green colour, and of equal length ; 
the three outer feathers on each side become rapidly 
shorter, so that the outermost is only about half the 
length of its next neighbour ; these feathers are white, 
with black bases. The whole length of the bird is 
about fourteen inches. 
This species is an inhabitant of the southern part of 
the African continent. It nestles in the hole of a tree, 
where it lays four eggs of a delicate pale rose colour, 
which are remarkable for their transparency and 
extreme fragility. During the breeding season the 
male emits sounds ot the most melancholy nature ; at 
other times he is very silent. 
THE FASCIATED TROGON {Harpactes fasciatus). 
The Indian species of the family Trogonidse are dis- 
tinguished from all the preceding forms by the want 
of serratures on the margins of the mandibles, these 
being smooth nearly to the tip, where they exhibit 
a notch, or tooth, somewhat similar to that occurring 
in many dentirostral birds. Nearly a dozen species 
have been met with in different parts of India and 
the islands of the Eastern archipelago. 
The Easciated Trogon, which is an inhabitant of the 
Indian peninsula and of Ceylon, is a fine and striking 
species, about ten inches in length ; its colour is fer- 
ruginous above, tawny red beneath ; its wing-coverts 
are barred with black and white ; its head and neck 
are black, with a naked blue patch surrounding the 
eyes; its breast has a band of white, its tail-coveits 
are grey, and the quill feathers of its wings and tail 
dusky ; the latter tij'ped with black. 
This bird occurs in the dense jungle amongst lofty 
trees, where it is generally seen seated motionless 
upon a branch, occasionally flying off in pursuit of 
some passing insect. More than two are rarely seen 
together. 
HODGSON’S TROGON {Harpactes eryfJirocephalvs), 
an inhabitant of the elevated regions of Northern India, 
and of Tenasserim, is said by Captain Tickell to fly in 
small troops, and to be active and vociferous in the 
morning, a behaviour which indicates more sociability 
of character than is usually attributed to the Trogons. 
Captain Tickell states, however, that in the heat of the 
day this species takes up a position in the shade, and 
sits there solitary and quiet, so that it is possible the 
other species have similar habits. We need not refer 
to the other species, of the habits of which little is 
known. 
Family V.— ALCEDINIDAE. 
This family, which includes the well-known King- 
fishers, and a great number of nearly allied forms, is 
characterized by the form of the bill — which is elon- 
gated, generally quite straight, stout, broad at the 
base, and acute at the tip — by the small size of the tail, 
and the shortness of the tarsi. The toes are variable, 
both in number and arrangement ; sometimes they are 
placed in pairs, as in the preceding family ; sometimes 
three in front and one behind, as in birds in general ; 
whilst in some cases, one toe is altogether deficient, 
and the foot has two toes in front and one behind. 
The wings are long and rounded, and the birds possess 
considerable powers of flight. 
Their food consists of animal matters ; some, like 
our common kingfisher, capturing fish with great dex- 
terity ; whilst others feed more upon insects, or upon 
these and small reptiles, or other terrestrial creatures. 
In other respects, they exhibit a great variety of habit, 
and they occur in almost all parts of the world, although 
most numerous in warm countries. 
THE COMMON KINGFISHER {Alcedo ispida)—V\o.iQ 
7, fig. 21 — the only European representative of the 
family, is one of the most beautiful of British birds ; 
its appearance, as it dashes along in the sun, giving 
one the idea of a living emerald. The top of the head, 
the wing-coverts, and a stripe on each side of the 
neck, are green, covered with most beautiful azure 
spots ; the back is dark green, with its hinder part and 
the rump azure ; the throat, and a streak on each side 
of the neck, are yellowish-white, and all the rest of the 
lower surface of the body is pale chestnut. The quill 
feathers of the wings are greenish-black, and those of 
the tail deep blue. The beak, which is an inch and 
a half long, is black, with the base of the lower man- 
dible orange. The feet are of a reddish-brown colour ; 
they have three toes in front and one behind, and the 
outer front toe is united to the middle one, as far as 
the second joint. 
The Kingfisher is an inhabitant of all parts of Europe, 
except in the extreme north ; thus it occurs, although 
rarely, in Denmark, but does not appear to inhabit 
the Scandinavian peninsula. It is also met with in 
the temperate parts of Siberia, and extends thence to 
the southern parts of Asia, whilst in Africa it occurs 
as far south as the Senegal. It is always found in 
the vicinity of watffl', frequenting the banks of rivers 
and brooks, and also of large ponds, over the surface of 
which it may be seen shooting along rapidly, like a 
little green meteor. Its food consists not only of small 
fishes, but also of aquatic insects and leeches, and pro- 
bably any other production of its favourite element will 
hardly come amiss. When watching for food, the 
King-fisher takes his post on a bush or tree overhang- 
ing the water, or on a rail by the bank side, and here 
he waits patiently until his expected prey comes within 
