524 BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA — PART 2 



diet of fruit for the young once they were brought a lizard, and on 

 another occasion part of a small snake. 



Van Tyne observed an interesting play among a group of adults 

 when two "stood in one spot and fenced with their bills for half a 

 minute or so, rested and were at it again. . . . Presently they flew off 

 into the forest and I then noticed two others that had now begun to 

 fence. Then one of these flew away and the remaining one picked a 

 new opponent and fell to fencing again. Soon the toucans began flying 

 off . . . but one or two more contests took place before the last of 

 them followed. . . . They fenced with and against each other's beaks 

 and never seemed to strike at the body." This curious activity was 

 observed on several occasions. 



In Darien and elsewhere these birds were called paleton by those 

 who distinguished this species from the larger swainsonii. It was also 

 called pico aji and pico verde. Both of the large toucans were known 

 collectively as pico feo. 



Beyond Panama the race brevicarinatus is found across northern 

 Colombia to the Serrania de Perija, and along the northern extension 

 of this range to the base of the Guajira Peninsula. It ranges also to 

 the eastern slopes of the Perija in northwestern Venezuela. 



RAMPHASTOS SWAINSONII Gould: Swainson's Toucan, 

 Dios-te-de 



Rhamphastos Swainsonii Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, pt. 1, no. 4, Septem- 

 ber 20, 1833, p. 69. (Mountains of Colombia.) 



The larger of the two black toucans with yellow foreneck and 

 upper breast ; tip of bill yellow. 



Description. — Length 500-560 mm. Adult (sexes alike), crown, 

 hindneck, and back black, washed with maroon, especially on the neck 

 and upper back ; upper tail coverts white ; rest of upper surface, includ- 

 ing wings and tail, somewhat glossy bluish or greenish black; lower 

 side of head, throat, and foreneck clear yellow ; a well-marked narrow 

 band of bright red across the breast, with the feathers basally white, 

 this showing more or less distinctly through the yellow immediately 

 above ; under tail coverts bright red ; rest of under surface, including 

 under wing coverts, black; occasionally with the maroon wash more 

 extensive, including very faint tinges on the breast. 



Juvenile, like adult, but with colors duller; cutting edge of bill 

 smooth, without notches. 



An adult male, taken on Cerro Mali, Darien, March 2, 1964, had 

 the iris light, rather dull green ; bare skin on side head bright yellow, 



