* ’■ ' ■ j
TROGON MELANURUS , Swains.
Black-tailed Trog’on.
Mas. Trog. vertice, pectore summo corporeque mprà, intensè aureo-viridibus ; loro, plumis auri-
cularibus, gulâque nigris, hôc colore in aureo viridi transemte; pectore albo transveràmfas-
ciato ; corpore mbtùs pulcherrimè coccineo ; alis nigris, in medio lineis delicatis albis striatis,
primariisque extiis albo marginatis;, caudâ nigrâ, rectricibus sex intermediis, purpureo
et viridi tinctis; duabus externis extiis lineis obscuris albis striatis ; rostro flam ; pedibm
stramineis.
Foem. Capite, corpore supra, gutture pectoreque intense cinereis ; alis nigris obscurè in medio striis
albis notatis ; caudâ nigrâ, rectricibus duabus externis extùs, crissoque coccineis.
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 b y 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 striae on the centre of the wing and the outer webs of the
lateral tail-feathers ; vent and under tail-coverts scarlet.
Total length, 12 inches ; bill, 14; wing, 64 ; tail, 64 ; tarsi, 4.
Le Couroucou d Amérique mâle à ventre rose, Le Vaill. Hist, des Couroucous, Pl. 1.
—ü— à ventre rose dans son premier âge, Hist, des Couroucous, Pl. 2.
Couroucou à ventre rouge de Cayenne, Buff. Pl. Enl. 452. maie, 737- female.
Trogon Curucui, Griff. An. Kingd. vol. vii. p. 474.
-----------melanurus, Swains.
T h e present bird is one o f 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,” Pis. 1 and 2, and he states it to be a native of Cayenne. I have myself frequently
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 melanurus.