74 ELEMENTS OF ORNITHOLOGY. 
are as remarkable for their lightness as their size. Of this 
group—which does not even extend to the West Indies—there 
are fifty-nine different species. The largest of these, the Toco 
Toucan (Rhamphastos toco), may stand as a type of the whole. 
Another group of brilliantly coloured climbing Birds, with 
stout but very much smaller bills, are called Barbets, on account 
of the long bristles which project forwards around the beak. 
The Red-headed Barbet (Capito erythrocephalus), which may 
stand as a type, is, with a few other species, an inhabitant of 

The Toco Toucan (Rhamphastos toco). 
America, although its allies are for the most part Old World 
forms. Some of these are singularly local, as is known to be 
the case, for instance, with the Blue-faced Barbet (Wegalema 
asiatica). Ina wild state they are said to feed on fruits and 
berries, but some of them in captivity have been known to kill 
small birds and swallow them whole. They probably, therefore, 
do so when wild. There are about one hundred and eight 
species. 
The Puff-birds are in some respects like Barbets externally, 
though they are also not unlike Kingfishers. They are smaller in 
size than the Barbets. Forty-three species belong to the group, 
