eid ——

TROGON AMBIQGUUS.

Doubtful Trogon.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Trog. facie, capite, guttureque nigris ; pectore, cervice, dorso, tectricibusque caude superioribus
viridibus ; _— brunnescenti-nigris, an medio cinerers lineis gracilibus flexuosis nigris trans-
versim notates ; remigibus externé albo fimbriatis; rectricibus duabus intermedsis proxima-
rumque duarum pogontis eaternis cupreo-virrdibus, harum pogoniis internis omniumague
apwibus negris, reliquis ad basin mgris, ad apicem albis, in medio albis maculis parvis
nUMEFOSIS SPAarsis nigris.

Rostrum flavum : tars? brunnei.

Bill bright yellow; face, top of the head, and throat black; chest, back of the neck, back, and
upper tail-coverts green; wings brownish black, the primaries having their outer edges
fringed with white ; secondaries and centres grey, finely marked with zigzag transverse
lines of black; two middle tail-feathers green with bronzy reflections; the two next green
with bronzy reflections on their outer edges only; the inner webs black; the three outer
ones on each side black at their base and white at the tip, the middle portion being
minutely dotted with black on a white ground; feet brown.

Total length about 12 inches; wing, 5+ to 53; tail, 7+.

Trogon ambiguus. Gould, Proceedings of Zool. Soc., Part III.

 

Tuose who have had opportunities for studying nature are well aware how slight occasionally are the shades
of difference between closely-allied species: it might be objected that these differences may be merely casual,
or those of variety only; but when we find that they constantly obtain in two birds brought from two very
distinct countries, and that by attending to their markings we should be able to assign to each its peculiar
the objection falls to the ground: it is true that the same species may differ in the intensity of its

locality,
from the influence of temperature, air, and food, but it will seldom be found to vary in the character

colouring,

of its permanent markings. ae
It is upon these views that I have ventured to separate this bird from the Trogon elegans, to which it so

closely assimilates that it requires an experienced eye to note the points of difference ; these points consist in
but finely-dotted appearance of the outer tail-feathers of Zrog. ambiguus, in opposition
to the strong and well-defined black bars on the same part in Trog. elegans ; while at the same time the
centre of the wing is much more finely and minutely barred in the former than in the latter. Had I seen only
> iy A) 4 :
1 qdeadual ir ig y 1 ubt on the subject ; but my comparisons
a single individual of each of these birds, I might have been in do j y I

dividuals of all ages, I feel but little hesitation in assigning to the present bird, at

the obscure and pale,

having been made upon in

least provisionally, the rank of a distinct species. oF oF a.
fee 1 -o birds ; indig re distinctly separated from each Pe
The localities in which these two birds appear to be indigenous a y sepa

"On" vouus havi xclusively received from the northern states
all the examples I have seen of Trogon ambiguus having been e y

i i ans is strictly limi the southern.
of Mexico, while the Zrogon elegans 1s strictly limited to

The Plate represents an adult male.