IN THE ORDER STREPITORES. 79 



disproportionate size of the bill, as compared with that of 

 others of the feathered race, the RhamphastidcB have excited 

 a more than usual degree of interest; in consequence of which 

 we are now in possession of much satisfactory information re- 

 specting their internal structure and economy. Some inte- 

 resting details on their anatomy, by Prof. Owen, are appended 

 to Mr. (xould's admirably illustrated monograph of the family; 

 and the observations of several naturalists on their wild ha- 

 bits, together with those of Mr. Broderip, Mr. Vigors, and 

 others, made upon individuals which have lived in captivity 

 in Europe, leave little to be desired in order to complete our 

 knowledge of their economy and general history. 



On inspecting a fine perfect skeleton of a species of toucan 

 (the only one which I have seen) in the Museum of Com- 

 parative Anatomy at Guy's Hospital, 1 I found the entire 

 structure to be less frail than descriptions had led me to an- 

 ticipate ; its conformation, however, evidently betokening a 

 bird of feeble flight : the sternum was proportionally much 

 larger than in the Musophagidce, and similarly emarginated at 

 its posterior edge ; its crest low, though the pectoral muscles 

 would seem to have been large and full, and LeVaillant ex- 

 pressly describes the toucans to have heavy and fleshy bodies, 

 as is analogously the case with the diminutive todies. The 

 separate clavicles were If inch in length, and taper at their 

 extremities. These birds have a wide gullet, a moderately 

 muscular stomach (which extends into the abdominal portion 

 of the cavity of the body), no gall-bladder, the intestine short, 

 not exceeding the length of the body, and devoid of ccecal 

 appendages, as already noticed : they have been observed to 

 regurgitate partially digested food, and after submitting it 

 to a rude kind of mastication, again to swallow it : Petiver 

 remarks the same of the syndactyle hornbills. 



Exteriorly, their enormous bill has the first claim to our 

 attention ; the magnitude of which, in some instances, is in- 

 deed astonishing : this organ, however, is excessively and 

 surprisingly light ; its horny sheath being (save towards the 

 tip) extremely thin, especially that of the upper mandible, but 

 elastic, and though yielding in a slight degree to moderate 

 pressure, presenting a considerable amount of resistance if the 

 force be increased for the purpose of crushing the beak : its 

 interior structure resembles what has been already described 

 in the analogous instance of the hornbills. Its form is length- 



1 1 take this opportunity to express my obligations to Mr. Gardiner, of the 

 above-named institution, for the ready access which he has ever afforded 

 me to the valuable collection of skeletons there deposited. 



