On some Species of the Ramphastidce. 479 



since it came into my possession. Of these it is particularly fond : 

 and they are generally mixed up in his ordinary food, which con- 

 sists of bread, rice, potatoes, German paste, and similar sub- 

 stances. He delights in fruits of all kinds. During the period 

 when these were fresh, he fed almost exclusively on them ; and 

 even in the present winter months he exhibits great gratification 

 in being offered pieces of apples, oranges, or preserved fruits of 

 any description. These he generally holds for a short time at 

 the extremity of his bill, touching them with apparent delight 

 with his slender and feathered tongue, and then conveying them 

 by a sudden upward jerk to his throat, where they are caught and 

 instantly swallowed. His natural propensity to preying upon ani- 

 mals, although not indulged, is still strongly conspicuous. When 

 another bird approaches his cage, or even a skin or preserved 

 specimen is presented to him, he exhibits considerable excitement. 

 He raises himself up, erects his feathers, and utters that '' hollow 

 clattering sound," noticed by Mr. Broderip, which seems to be 

 the usual expression of delight in these birds : — the irides of his 

 eyes at the same time expand, and he seems ready to dart upon 

 his prey, if the bars of his cage permitted his approach. On one 

 occasion when a small bird was placed by chance over his cage at 

 night, he shewed great restlessness, as if aware of the neighbour- 

 hood of the bird, and he would not be composed until the cause 

 of his anxiety was discovered and removed. 



When in his cage he is peculiarly gentle and tractable, suffers 

 himself to be played with, and feeds from the hand. Out of his 

 cage he is wild and timid. In general he is active and lively; 

 and contrary to what might be expected from the apparent dis- 

 proportion of the bill, and the seemingly clumsy shape of the birds 

 of this genus, as they are usually set up or represented in figures, 

 his appearance is not only graceful, but his movements, as he 

 glides from perch to perch, are light and sylphlike ; so much so 

 as to have suggested to an intelligent friend who witnessed them, 

 the specifick name which I have ventured to assign him. He 

 keeps himself in beautiful plumage; his lighter colours being 

 strikingly vivid, and the deep black of his upper body in particu- 

 lar being always bright and glossy. For this fine condition he 



