THE DUSKY TRAPPIST, OR BEARDED CUCKOO (Monasta fusca).
The TOURACOS, or TROGONS (Trogones), constitute a numerous group of equally dreamy, but gloriously plumaged birds, inhabiting the tropical zones of both hemispheres. All have a slender, but very thickly-feathered body, short, broad, triangular, and much-curved beak, with a hook at its tip, and occasionally incised at its margins. The small, slender legs are almost entirely covered with feathers; the toes, the innermost of which turns backwards, thus pairing with the hinder toe, are short; the small, much-rounded wings are composed of narrow, stiff-shafted, sickle-shaped quills, pointed at their extremity; the long tail contains twelve feathers; of these, the three outermost are much shorter than the rest. The lax, downy plumage is resplendent with metallic lustre; and the base of the beak covered with a bristle-like growth. The various members of this group are alike remarkable for their dull, indolent disposition, and spend their lives in lazily droning upon the branches of their favourite trees, only rousing themselves to take a short flight in pursuit of a passing insect. Their food principally consists of various kinds of insects, fruit, seeds, or portions of plants; while some appear to be entirely restricted to vegetable diet. Holes in trees are used as receptacles for the eggs, which are from two to four in number, round in shape, with a very light or white shell.
The FIRE TOURACOS (Harpactes), a group of these birds inhabiting Southern Asia, are recognisable by their powerful, much-curved, and smooth-margined beak, their partially-feathered feet, short wings, and long, graduated tail.
THE KARNA, OR MALABAR TROGON.
The KARNA, or MALABAR TROGON (Harpactes fasciatus), a well-known species, is of a chestnut-brown on the upper portion of the body, and black on the head and throat; the feathers of the wing-covers are striped black and white, while the breast and entire under side are of a vivid scarlet; the black throat is divided from the breast by a narrow white band; a line from the back of the eyes to the head is bright red, and a bare patch round the eye of a blueish shade; the centre tail-feathers are reddish brown, and those at the exterior black and white; the eye is dark brown, the beak deep blue, and the foot of a purplish hue. The female is without the black upon the head; her upper secondary quills and the feathers on the wing-covers are black and brown, and her entire under side ochre-yellow. The length of this species is twelve and its breadth sixteen inches; the wing measures five and the tail six inches.
The Malabar Trogon, as we learn from Jerdon, "is found in the forests of Malabar, from the extreme south to about seventeen degrees north latitude, reaching up the Ghâts and hill ranges at least 3,000 feet. It is also found in some of the forests of Central India and in Ceylon. It, however, usually prefers the more elevated situations, at about 2,000 feet or so, and keeps generally to the thickest parts of the wood. It is often to be seen seated motionless on 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 usually solitary, sometimes in pairs, and I have seen four or five together. Its food consists of insects, chiefly coleopterous. I am not aware of having heard its note, and certainly have found it generally a silent bird. Trikell, however, says it has a wild, querulous note, like the mewing of a cat. Its Hindustani name is given from its sitting with the head sunk into its shoulders, as if it had no head, or as if dressed in a faquir's kufui."