Hodg’son’s Trogon.
Trogon Hodgsonii, Goulcl, Mon. Trog., pi. 34.
Harpactes Hodgsonii, Gould, Mon. Trog., syn. spec. Harpactes, sp. 6.—McClell. Proc. Zool. Soc., part vii. p. 166.
Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 71, Harpactes, sp. 3.—lid. Cat. o f Spec., and Draw, of Mamm.
and Birds presented to Brit. Mus. by B. H. Hodgson, Esq., p. 56.—Blyth, Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat.
Soc. Calcutta, p. 80.—Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av.,tom. i. p. 151, Harpactes, sp. 3 —Horsf. and Moore,
Cat. of Birds in Mus. East-Ind. Comp., vol. ii. p. 713.
------------Hodgsoni, Jerd. Birds of India, vol. i. p. 202.
Trogon (Harpactes) Hodgsonii, Gould, Mon. Trog., List of Plates, no. 34.
Harpactes erythrocephalus, Gray, List of Spec, of Birds in Brit. Mus., p art ii. sect. i. p. 45. Blyth, Cat. of Birds
in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, app. p. 322.
Pyrotrogon Hodgsoni, Bonap. Consp., vol. Zygod. p. 14. gen. 5 e. 39.—Cab. et Heine, Mus. Hein.,Theil iv. p. 160.
Trogon dilectus, F. B. Hamilton’s MSS., vol. i. p. 63.
Suda sohaghin, Bengalese (male), Dr. Hamilton.
Hummesha Peeara ( “ always thirsty ” ) , Hindoos (male), Hamilton.
Cuchcuchea, Bengalese (female), Hamilton.
SaJcvor pho, Lepchas, Jerdon.
Mlar. J e bd o n and some other ornithologists are of opinion that the Trogons to which I have assigned the
pcciñc appellations of erythrocephalus and Hodgsonii are identical ; but, as I have pointed out in my
Monograph of the Trogonidæ,’ they differ considerably in size, and somewhat in their colouring ; and, until
have farther evidence than has yet been adduced of their identity, I shall continue to regard them as con-
tituting two species. However this may be, the accompanying figures were taken from specimens killed in
he great Himalayan range, and consequently represent the two sexes of the true Harpactes Hodgsoni.
The following interesting extract from Mr. Jerdon’s valuable work the ‘Birds of India’ comprises
early all that has been recorded respecting the history of this fine bird :
I This handsome Trogon,” says Mr. Jerdon, “ is found in the Himalayas, from Nepaul eastward, in
Issam, Sylhet, Arrakan, and Tenasserim. It prefers hilly places at from 2000 to 4500 feet. At Daiyeehng
found it chiefly at about 4000 feet, frequenting dark-shaded valleys and flying from tree to tree at no great
deration, or a few of them together, keeping near the same spot, making sallies every now and then, and
eizing insects on the wing. It feeds on Coleóptera chiefly. Tickell, who lately observed it on the
[eiinsserim hills, about 3000 feet and upwards, says that it flies in small troops, is active and vociferous in
he morning, solitary and quiet during the heat of the day. I had the eggs of the Trogon brought me at
larjeeling : they were said to have been taken from a hole in a tree ; and were two in number, white and
omewhat round. There was no nest, it was stated ¡ only some soft scrapings of decayed wood.”
The male has the head, neck, and breast deep blood-red, separated from the rich scarlet of the under
urface by a narrow line of white ; back and upper tuiUcoverts cinnamon-brown, brightest on the rump ; wing-
loverts and tertiaries striated with fine wavy lines of black and white ¡ primaries black, margined on their
niter webs with white ; two centre tail-feathers rich chestnut-brown, tipped with black ; the next on eac
ide black with two thirds, from the base, of the outer web, and a fine line down the shaft on the inner web,
I chestnut-brown ¡ the next on each side black, with the basal half of the outer web rich chestnut-brown ;
he three lateral feathers on each side black, largely tipped with white, which extends some length down the
rater web ; “ bill deep smalt-blue, becoming black along the culmen and at the tip ; ,rides chestnut-brown ;
irhital skin deep lavender-blue ; legs and feet pale lavender j (Jerdon).
The female differs in having the head, neck, breast, and upper surface cinnamon-brown, palest on the
■„mp and upper tail-coverts ; under surface pale crimson, separated from .the cinnamon of the throat as ...
he male by a narrow crescent of white ; and the undulations on the wing black and brown instead of black
nd white.