IN THE ORDER STREPITORES. 83 



appeared to protract its feast considerably, by continually 

 applying the tongue to each morsel, before throwing it up and 

 catching it in the throat, as these birds are necessitated to do 

 whatever they feed on, their singularly formed tongue being 

 inadequate to assist in deglutition. It may be that the smaller 

 species are somewhat less carnivorous ; and the Pteroglossus 

 aricari, which abounds in Guiana, is stated by Levaillant to 

 make great havoc in the plantations of bananas, guavas, and 

 even of coffee : bnt the truth is that they are all very general 

 feeders, more so than any other Zygodactyly 



The Rhamphastida are much more hardy in the climate of 

 England than would be expected ; are tame and fearless ; and 

 display a tolerable share of sagacity : becoming soon attach- 

 ed to persons they know. They are lively and active in the 

 extreme, and surprisingly light and elegant in all their move- 

 ments, so much so that in the living bird the beak has not 

 the least appearance of being disproportionate : erecting the 

 tail, which, Mr. Vigors remarks, is jerked up as though it 

 moved by a spring, the conformation permitting of which is 

 described by Mr. Owen in the 'Appendix' before referred to. 

 They have only a harsh and grating cry. Those individuals 

 which have been tamed have heen noticed to catch, with the 

 utmost facility, grapes and other fruit thrown to them ; to 

 seize which they open the bill sideways or horizontally. — 

 Towards evening, after taking their last meal, they retire to 

 roost, and sit listlessly for an hour or two with the plumage 

 puffed and tail lying close upon the back, as if dozing ; at 

 which time they will suffer themselves to be gently handled : 

 at length, they turn the head backward, and so completely 

 bury their enormous beak between the scapulary and inter- 

 scapular feathers, that frequently, not a portion of it remains 

 visible ; the plumage of the breast descending and covering 

 the flanks ; so that the bird presents the appearance of a 

 round ball of feathers, every naked part being as effectually 

 covered as in birds of less extraordinary proportions. The 

 foregoing detailed account is derived from various authentic 

 sources, of which Azara's description, and the observations 

 of Messrs. Broderip, Bennet, and Vigors, in the ' Zoological 

 Journal,' and 'Gardens and Menageries of the Zoological So- 

 ciety Displayed,' are the principal. I have endeavoured to 

 bring into one focus the substance of all that I know has been 

 written respecting the habits of this singular group of birds, 

 that future observers may corroborate or refute according to 

 their experience. 



Perhaps it may be as well just to mention that the rainfowl 

 (Scythrops), an Australian genus, is included among the 



