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HARPACTES ORESKIOS.

Mountain Trogon.

Trogon oreski
ui skios, Temm. Pl. Col. 181.—Id. Gen. Courouc., sp. 8.—Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xi
s : . y = XLVe

part 1, p. 220.—Less. Traité d’Orn
; +» p. 121.—Gould, Mon. Trog :
Harpactes Gouldit, Swains. Class. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 337 ee

—_— oreskios, Gould, ae Trog., syn. spec. Harpactes, sp. 8.—Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 7
epost, sp. 8.—lid. List. of Spec. of Birds in Coll. Brit. Mus., part ii. cn ; ) a : be i‘
Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, p. 80.—Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av ae ee ce a
sp. 8.—Horsf. and Moore, Cat. of Birds in Mus. East-Ind. Comp., vol i ) 716 ee

Trogon (Harpactes) oreskios, Gould, Mon. Trog., List of Plates, no. 36. a

Oreskios Gouldi, Bonap. Consp., vol. Zygod. p. 14, gen. 5 d. 41.

Orescius Gouldi, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein., Theil iv. p. 161.

 

Ir is somewhat eu that neither Sir Stamford Raffles nor Dr. Horsfield has furnished us with any
particulars respecting this species of Trogon, since it is an inhabitant of the island of Java, to which the
researches of both those departed gentlemen were principally directed. I believe that the East-India
Museum, which is so rich in many other birds from that island, does not contain a single example of the
present one. ‘That it is tolerably common there, is certain; for a large number of skins have been from time
to time transmitted thence to Europe; and at the present moment I have four very fine skins from that island
lying before me, and it is from these that my figures in the accompanying Plate have been taken. I mention
this because Mr. Blyth, in a note to me, says the specimens of “ #. oreskios in Mr. Wallace’s collection
from Java are distinct from the Burmah specimens figured in your Monograph of the Trogonide” ; I think,
however, that Mr. Blyth must in this mstance be mistaken ; for if a comparison be instituted between the
figures alluded to and those in the opposite Plate, it will be seen that they do not differ. Java is certainly
the country of the bird here represented : if the bird from the Malayan peninsula should, after a careful
comparison, prove to be sufficiently different to warrant its being considered specifically distinct, a figure
of it will be found in the present work.

The Harpactes oreskios differs from all its congeners in the absence of any naked skin round the eyes ;

it is also markedly different in its colouring, orange taking the place of scarlet in the other members of the
On the whole it is a richly coloured bird, and must

genus, particularly on the breast and under surface.
parture of life the glory of its plumage disappears,

be very beautiful in a state of nature ; but with the de
never again to be seen in dried skins.

The sexes offer the usual differences, the fem
yellow and brown instead of black and white.

When treating of this species in the ‘Planches Coloriées,
MM. Diard and Reinwardt for the first knowledge of its existence 5
woods and mountains, and subsists on insects.

The male has the crown of the head, throat, an
deep chestnut ; wings black, their centres rayed with strong
tail-feathers rich deep chestnut, crossed

three outer feathers black at the base |
thighs black ; bill black at the tip, yellow at the

ale being less brilliant, and having the wings barred with

> Temminck states that science is indebted to
and Kuhl informs us that it inhabits

d chest greenish yellow ; back and upper tail-coverts rich
bars of white ; primaries margined externally
at the tip with a narrow band of black,

with white; two centre .
and white at the tip; breast and

the two next on each side black ;
flanks rich orange, becoming paler
base; legs and feet flesh-colour.

The female has the head, chest,

of the back and the two middle tail-feathers ; the transver

on the belly and vent;

fOW scomine richer on the lower part
and all the upper surface dull brown, becoming richer ¢ 0 |
se marks on the centre of the wings yellow instead

of white, and the under sur
The figures represent the two sexes,