John Gould, regarded by many as the greatest bird artist and publisher in Britain, produced fifteen folio sets during his career. The book on view is dedicated to a tropical bird called the "trogon." In his preface to the book, Gould wrote: "If not strictly elegant in form, the Trogons in the brilliancy of their plumage are surpassed only by the Trochilidae [toucans]: their splendor amply compensates for every other defect." The illustrations for this work are some of the most magnificent that the ornithologist produced.