BIRDS—TROGONIDAE—TROGON MEXICANUS. 
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Family TROGONIDAE. TheTrogons. 
In continuation of the diagnosis already given of this family, it may he stated that the hill is 
much shorter than the head, broadly triangular, with the tip hooked and dentate. Nasal fossae 
concealed ; the base of both mandibles with long, stiff bristles directed forwards ; the eyelids, 
also, with similar bristles. Wings short, rounded ; the quills falcate, much graduated. Tail 
elongated ; the feathers broad. Legs very feeble ; the tarsus short, and hidden in the plumage. 
The inner anterior toe is versatile, or directed backwards, instead of the outer, as in all other 
Scansores. 
' 'TROGON, Moehring. 
Trogon “ Moehring, Genera Avium, 1752.” 
Bill broad, both mandibles with the cutting edge serrated ; plumage soft and lax, the upper tail coverts not reaching beyond 
the middle of the tail and but little beyond the tip of the folded wing. The wing coverts are short; the lateral tail feathers gradu¬ 
ated. Anterior toes united beyond the first joint. 
The genus Trogon , as above characterized, is distinguished from Ccdurus ( Pliaromacrus ) by 
the short upper tail coverts, which do not project in a long train far beyond the true tail. The 
even tail feathers distinguish it from Temnurus, its other American ally. 
TROGON MEXICANUS, Swains on. 
Mexican Trogon. 
Trogon mexicanus, Swainson, Syn. Birds Mex. Taylor’s Phil. Mag. I, 1827, 440.— Wagler, Isis, 1831, 524.— 
Gould, Mon. Trogonidae, 1838 ; pi. i, adult male, and pi. ii, female and young male. 
Sp. Ch.—G olden green above and on the neck all around. Forehead, chin, and side of head, black. Under parts carmine red ; 
a narrow pectoral collar and the edges of the wings white. Outer tail feathers white, their middle portion dotted or barred with 
black. Middle feathers coppery, with or without a terminal bar of black. 
Length, 10 75 ; wing, 5.25 ; tail, 6.75. Hab. —Northeastern Mexico to Rio Grande. 
4338.—The entire upper parts of this species, with the neck and upper part of the breast, 
are of a rich lustrous metallic golden green, with occasional coppery reflections, especially on 
the scapulars. The forehead, sides of the head around the eyes, the chin, and upper part of the 
throat, are dull black, with perhaps a bluish shade. The wing coverts are finely mottled black 
and white ; the quills are brown, with the outer webs edged with white. The entire under 
parts are of a rich carmine red; the feathers with concealed white just below the red; a narrow 
white collar separates the green of the breast from the carmine. The outer three tail feathers 
are white for most of their length, and dusky towards the base, especially on the inner webs. 
For about the terminal inch the white is pure, elsewhere it is finely dotted with black. The 
two middle feathers are greenish coppery, abruptly tipped for about an inch with black ; the 
remaining ones are similar, but with more of a violet tinge. A second specimen (4339) has 
rather more wh.te on the breast. The middle tail feathers lack the terminal band of black. 
The external tail feathers, (except the second,) instead of being finely mottled, are barred 
transversely with black. 
The feathers on the rump of this and probably other species of Trogon have the shafts 
