44 Some Toucans. 



mice. I rcmoNccl llu' RotlpoMs .ind put a pair of GoM-frontrd 

 l'"ruilsuckers in the flight, and while the Toucan never molested 

 them, neither did he fraternise with thenii m any way. 



I'hough tlu'ir call note (song ! ) is not exactly a musical 

 one, more resembling a bray than a song, I did not find 

 it objectionable or very freely indulged in. it was mostly in 

 the evening that he was musically inclined. 



As regards food; in a state of nature they feed on 

 fruits and berries, but from the fondness of my bird for 

 animal food (mealworms, beetles, etc.) I deduce that they 

 also take any small reptiles and insects available. In captivity 

 ind;\idual birds have very varied tastes, some are omnivorous 

 and lake freely of such provender as boiled rice, minced meat 

 (I do not favour this, except very occasionally ), milk sop, ripe 

 truit of all kinds, especially cherries in the season^ minced 

 plums, bananas, sweet apples, etc. The Sulpfiur-breasted 

 referred to above Was most fas.idious in its tastes, and 

 almost entirely lived upon milk-sop and various fruits as in 

 season, supplemented with currants and sultana rasins — cher- 

 ries were swallowed whole and the stones ejocted afterwards. 

 It did not favour the ground, though it ide:end?d the:e:o when 

 it dropped any of its food to . recover saiij, and spem the 

 bulk of its restful periods perched a: tae top o. i.s fl'ght. It 

 would take as many mealwoimi as J jared to supply; 1 ncv'.r 

 supplied raw meat as its captures of mice kept it going for 

 this commodity. I certainly am locking forward to the lime 

 when it will again be housed in my aviary. 



iViy bird was kept in a well lighted flight loft. x 4ft., 

 with a height rising from ^hh. to 9T. Here I'h? bird lived all 

 the year round. From November to March inclusive a small 

 " Beatrice " oil-stove burnt in the passage between the flights, 

 but this little heat only just took the sting ofi" the cold and 

 the thermometer was often as low as 2S d-g- 1' • in the early 

 morning, much lower during sharp spells, but my Sulphur- 

 breast had often broken the ice on the water and bad h*is baih 

 befone I -went to feed it. He remained very fit during the years 

 I kept him land was never ailing the w^hole period. His only 

 blemish being two feathers, which would insist on curling' 



