File:The popular natural history (1884) (20805879521).jpg

Title: The popular natural history
Identifier: cu31924090296397 (find matches)
Year: 1884 (1880s)
Authors: Wood, J. G. (John George), 1827-1889
Subjects: Zoology
Publisher: New York, Burt Co
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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THE RESPLEMDENT TROGON. 279 is a light green, the flanks are rose-coloured, deepening into scarlet upon the throat and fading into a pale yellow upon the abdomen and under the tail- coverts. TROGONS. For our systematic knowledge of the magnificent tribe of the Trogons we are now almost wholly indebted to Mr. Gould, who by the most persever- ing labour and the most careful investigations has reduced to order this most perplexing group of birds, and brought into one volume a mass of informa- tion that is rarely found in similar compass. There are few groups of birds which are more attractive to the eye than the Trogons, with all their glowing hues of carmine, orange, green, and gold; and few there are which presented greater difficulties to the ornitho- logist until their various cha- racteristics were thoroughly sifted and compared together. The two sexes are so different from each other, both in the colour and shape of the feathers, that they would hardly be recognizable as be- longing to a single species, and even the young bird is very differentlycoloured from his older relatives. These beautiful birds are found in the Old and the New Worlds, those which inhabit the latter locality being easily distinguishable by their deeply-barred tails. Those of the Old World are generally found in Ceylon, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo, while only a single species, the Narina Trogon, is as yet known to inhabit Africa. The Trogons are mostly silent birds, the only cry used being that of the male during the season of pairing. It is not a very agreeable sound, being of a sombre and-melancholy cast, and thought to resemble the word " courou- courou." Several of the Trogons are distinguished from their relatives by the length and downy looseness of many of the feathers, more especially the lance-shaped feathers of the shoulders and the elongated upper tail-coverts. On account of this structure of the plumage, they are gathered into a separate genus under the appropriate title of Calurus, or Beautiful-tailed Trogons. The Resplendent Trogon is a native of Central America, and was in former days one of the most honoured by the ancient Mexican monarchs, who assumed the sole right of wearing the long plumes, and permitted none but the members of the royal family to decorate themselves with the flowin'^' feathers of this beautiful bird, °
Text Appearing After Image:
RESPLENDENT TROGON.—(Calurus respUndens.')

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