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The late Dr. Jerdon has given the following account of the species in his ‘Birds of India :—* The
Malabar Trogon is found in the forests of Malabar from the extreme south to about 17° N. lat., reaching
up the Ghats and hill-ranges to at least 3000 feet. It is also found in some of the forests of Central India
and in Ceylon.

“Tt prefers the more elevated situations, at about 2000 feet or so, and keeps generally to the thickest
parts of the woods. It is often to be seen seated motionless on a branch of a tree, occasionally flying off to
capture an insect on the wing, sometimes returning to the same perch, but oftener taking up a fresh position,
and in this way wandering about a good deal. It is unusually solitary, sometimes in pairs ; and I have seen
four or five together. Its food consists of various insects, chiefly coleopterous. Layard says that it is found
in small parties of three or four, and feeds on Spiders, Mantide, and Coleoptera. I am not aware of having
heard its note, and certainly have generally found it a silent bird. Tickell, however, says that it has a wild
querulous note like the mewing of a cat. Its Hindustani name is given from its sitting with the head sunk
in the shoulders, as if it had no neck, or as if dressed up in a faquir’s kun.”

“In Ceylon,” writes Mr. Holdsworth, “it is only found among wild tree-jungles in the southern half of
the island. I have seen it about twelve miles from Colombo, in a wild uncultivated district in the low
country, and also at Nuwara Eliya, in February; but it is not very commonly met with, and is perhaps
somewhat local in its distribution. In its manners it resembles the Flycatchers, and has generally a peculiar
fluttering mode of flight.”

The sexes are represented in the Plate of the natural size.