and Bahia, and the neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro. JohnNatterer found it, among other places, at Mato 
Grosso in October, on the river Xie in June, on the Rio Negro in July, and the Rio Salimoes in December. 
It is now very generally admitted by ornithologists that Linnaeus’s specific name of viridis must be here¬ 
after retained for this bird. Swainson’s term melanopterus would have been a more appropriate appellation ; 
but this term, as well as that of violaceus assigned to it by Spix, must give place to the prior designation, 
however inappropriate it may be. Much confusion has hitherto existed with regard to the synonymy of 
this species, a confusion mainly caused by the great difference in the colouring of the sexes, and the 
numerous changes which take place in the plumage of the young males during the first two years of their 
existence. At first the secondaries and wings are crossed with narrow lines of white, and the tails are barred 
with white on a black ground. When these tail-feathers are thrown off they are not all shed simultaneously ; 
and thus it frequently happens that two of the outer feathers on one side resemble those borne by the 
older birds, and present a strong contrast to the unshed barred plumes of the opposite side. The upper 
surface, too, of the young males is frequently clothed with mingled green and grey feathers, giving them 
a totally different appearance from the adults of both sexes. 
The following remarks on Trogon viridis were given in the first edition of this Monograph, and may he 
repeated here : This species gives a preference to dense and impenetrable forests, and like the other members 
of its race is solitary and unsocial in its babits. The male may be distinguished from all others by its large 
size and by the rich violet colour of its head and chest. The female is more sombre in her colouring, those 
parts being of a dusky grey which in the male are resplendent green and violet. Burmeister states that this 
is the commonest species of Trogon inhabiting the Brazilian forests, where it is mostly seen sitting solitary 
on branches of a moderate height from the ground, and, not being shy, will admit of near approach. Its flight 
is soft and slow, and extends to but a short distance before it settles again. Like the Parrots it is considered 
good food by the Brazilians. In the stomachs of some specimens which M. Natterer examined were found 
the remains of fruit, and an insect nearly allied to Mantis. 
Ibis beautiful Trogon ” says Prince Maximilian of Wied, “ is perhaps the commonest of all the birds in¬ 
habiting the parts of Brazil visited by me. It is to be found south in the Serra dos Orgaos near Rio, near 
Cabo Frio in the Serra de Inua, where it is very numerous, and proceeds as far north as Guiana ; hut Azara 
did not notice it as occurring in Paraguay. It dwells in the lower as well as in the mountainous forests, 
but especially in those near the coast. Its cry, which may be heard everywhere, is a rather short, often- 
repeated monosyllabic whistle, gradually descending from a high to a lower tone, and appears to me among 
bird-voices to be most like the call of the female Turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo). The bird is so little shy 
or so simple that, as Azara truthfully remarks, it may be killed with a stick. It is mostly seen sitting motion¬ 
less on a naked moderately high branch, with its head drawn in between the shoulders, and its tail hanging 
straight down. On uttering its easily imitated cry it will come like our Cuckoo and alight on a branch near 
at hand; its flight is noiseless and owl-like. Everywhere abundant, it appears to be more numerous in the 
majestic foiests near the coasts than in the Catinga or Carasco bushes of the hot and dry interior. In the 
Sertong or the inner parts of the province of Bahia it is called Pompeo, in Minas Geraes Capitao do mato ; 
but in most of the other provinces all the Trogons are called Curucaa : it is the Nit-not-nop of the Boto- 
cudos, and, according to Waterton, is termed Bochlora in Guiana. Should the traveller in those uncivilized 
countries be short of food, the flesh of this bird will prove not unacceptable.” 
The Plate represents an adult male and a female, of the natural size. The plant is the Pandanus candelabrum. 
