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" themselves in the sunshine. Huniniiiig-biids darted across the path or 

 " hovered over the bushes sipping tlie honey from the flowers; little Grey 

 " Doves ran along the path, and then six large birds flew, one behind the 

 " other, from the top of a high tree on the opposite side of the valley, and 

 " flewintoanotherlree just over our heads. Yes! they were Toucans, there was 

 " no mistaking them with their long bills pointing downwards. In a cage, 

 " one thinks of them as clumsy, but there was no clumsiness in that grace- 

 " ful flight across the valley, and at the same time it was unlike that of 

 " any other birds. How I feasted my ej'es on them as they gambolled 

 " among the branches of the great tree above us. I say gambolled, for that 

 " is what they were doing, chasing each other from branch to branch, and 

 " snapping their beaks and making a peculiar rattling noise in their 

 " throats. One would throw a fruit into the air, and before it could catch it 

 " again, another would seize it without any intention of swallowing it, but 

 " pass it on like boys would a ball. I have never seen any birds play to- 

 " gether like a number of Toucans will, and on many occasions since I have 

 " watched them doing the same thing " 



"These birds are high fliers. Tlie wing looks particularly small when 

 " flying and the bills very conspicuous. T'hey go in small flocks straggling 

 " one behind the other, the older birds, judging by the length of bill, taking 

 " the lead." 



From the same writer I gather the following facts : 



Tliey are not earl}' risers, and are seen abont when it is 

 uearly dark. 



The genns J?/2amp/ias/os inhabit the highest trees, and are 

 never seen on the ground. 



The genns Pleroglossus frequents more open spaces, some- 

 times banana plantations round liiunan habitations. 



The little Green Toucans {Aulacorhampus) may be said to 

 live among the nndergrovvths of the forest. This genus 

 appears to be solitary, and is not observed together even in 

 pairs. 



Mr. Goodfellow found no evidence that they eat the eggs 

 and young of other birds; a tree near his hut, the constant 

 resort of Toucans, was also the habitation of many small birds, 

 and they never seemed in the least alarmed at the Toucans. 

 Further Mr. Goodfellow says : — 



" My old Sulphur-breasted Toucan was never a sinner in this way. His 

 " aviary was only divided off" from the aviary of the smaller fruit-eating 

 " birds by wire netting ; they were constantly clinging to the wire, and had 

 " he been so minded, nothing would have been easier than for him to have 

 " pulled them through, but far from doing that, he used to pick out all the 



