_Mexican Motmot._ ---- Family Trogonidæ. Sub-family Prionitinæ. _Nob._ (_See Northern Zoology, 2. p. 326._) ---- SPECIFIC CHARACTER. _Small, above green, beneath paler; head and neck above cinnamon, ears black, varied and tipped with bright blue stripes; belly white._ Momotus Martii. _Jardine & Selby. Ill. of Orn. 2 pl. 25._ Prionites Mexicanus. _Swains. Phil. Mag. June 1827. p. 442._ ---- The Motmots, so named from their monotonous note, live only in the tropical forests of the New World, preferring those deep recesses of perpetual shade, where a high canopy of matted foliage, nearly excludes the rays of a vertical sun. They appear even more solitary in their disposition than the Trogons; their note may be heard, morning and evening, from the depths of the forests, but the bird is never seen, unless the hunter comes unexpectedly upon its retreat. This we have generally found to be a low, withered branch, completely shaded, and just at the edge of such paths as are made by the Cavies, or the Indians. The Jacamas and the Trogons both love these shady nooks, where they sit nearly motionless, watching for passing insects, upon which they dart. Such is, no doubt, the manner in which the Motmot feeds; but his strong confirmation enables him to capture larger game. Travellers assert that he also devours the eggs and young of other birds, like the Toucans: this we believe, as both have the same long and feather-like tongue. Thus has nature allied these two groups, each standing at the confines of their own tribe: incontestably proving the union of the Scansores, Teniurostres, and Fissirostres, into one great circle. The present species has only been found in Mexico, although the London Ornithologists have confounded it with the Prionites Martii of Brazil. Hence the error of Sir W. Jardine and Mr. Selby, and adopted upon our plate. Distrusting our first opinion, we believed the London co-adjutors of these gentlemen, having access to the original work of Dr. Spix, could not have made such a blunder, but a personal inspection of the original figure decided the question. No two species can well be more different. * * * * * * [Illustration: TROGON MEXICANUS. _Mexican Trogon_] TROGON Mexicanus. _Mexican Trogon. Male._ ---- Tribe Fissirostres. Family Trogonidæ. Sub-family Trogoninæ. (G. Trogon. _Auct._) GENERIC CHARACTER. See Lesson Man. 2 p. 139. ---- SPECIFIC CHARACTER. _Above golden green, beneath crimson; tail black; the three outer feathers banded with white on their outer web only; inner webs with an oblique white stripe along their shafts; the inner edge spotted with white._ Male. Trogon Mexicanus, female. _See Swains. in Phil. Mag. June 1827._ Mus. Dom. Taylor. ----