Sn ee 7 LS TT a eee a Se — sn ee . —

TROGON MELANURUS, Swains.

Black-tailed Trogon.

Mas. Trog. vertice, pectore summo corporeque supra, intensé aureo-viridibus ; loro, plumis aur-
cularibus, guldque nigris, hoc colore in aureo viridi transeunte ; pectore albo transversim. fas-
ciato ; corpore subtus pulcherrimeé coccmeo ; alis nigris, in medio liners delicatis albis striates,
primarusque extus albo marginatis ; cauda nigra, rectricibus sex intermediis, purpureo
et viridi tinctis; duabus externis extus lineis obscuris albis striatis ; rostro flavo ; pedibus
stramineis.

’ - ~ . \ . . . . . . . ee

Fem. Capite, corpore supra, gutture pectoreque intense cimereis ; alis negris obscure in medio stras

P ; ee a : ee.
albis notatis ; cauda nigra, rectricibus duabus externis extus, crissoque cocciners.

Male. Crown of the head, chest and all the upper surface dark golden green ; space between
the bill and the eye, ear-coverts and throat black gradually passing into the golden green ;
breast crossed by a band of white, beyond which all the under surface is rich fiery
scarlet; wing black, the centre striated with fine wavy lines of white, and the primaries
margined externally with the same colour ; tail black, the six centre feathers tinged with

purple and green, and the outer web of the lateral feather on each side faintly striated

 

with white, as in the centre of the wing; bill yellow ; feet straw yellow.

Female. Head, all the upper surface, throat and breast dark grey ; wings and tail black, with
a faint indication of the white strize on the centre of the wing and the outer webs of the
lateral tail-feathers ; vent and under tail-coverts scarlet.

Qi

Total length, 12 inches ; bell, 1s; wing, Or ; tail, 64; tarsi, +.

Le Couroucou d Amerique male a ventre rose, Le Vaill. Hist. des Couroucous, Pl. 1.
_________—. @ ventre rose dans son premier Gge, Hist. des Couroucous, Rio
Couroucou & ventre rouge de Cayenne, Buff. Pl. Enl. 452. male, 737. female.

Trogon Curucut, Griff. An. Kingd. vol. vn. p. 474.

— melanurus, Swains.

 

 

Tue present bird is one of the oldest known and commonest species of the genus, but so much confusion has
existed respecting the South American members of the group that I have been induced to adopt the specific
title of melanurus given to this species by Mr. Swainson. Both sexes are figured by Le Vaillant in his *‘ Histoire
des Couroucous et des Barbus,” Pls. 1 and 2, and he states it to be a native of Cayenne. I have myself fre-
quently observed it in collections from Demerara, and if I mistake not from Trinidad. Mr. Natterer also
informs me that he once, and only once, observed it on the banks of the River Paraguay ; I am therefore led

to consider that the interior of Demerara will constitute its natural habitat.

 

By mistake the name of nigricaudata has been inserted on the Plate instead of me/anurus.