154 The Naturalist in Nicaragua 
red on the under surface, then turning all together, as if they 
were one body, and exhibiting the gorgeous blue, yellow, and 
red of the upper side gleaming in the sunshine; screaming 
meanwhile as they flew with harsh, discordant cries. This 
gaudy-coloured and noisy bird seems to proclaim aloud that 
it fears no foe. Its formidable beak protects it from every 
danger, for no hawk or predatory mammal dares attack a 
bird so strongly armed. Here the necessity for concealment 
does not exist, and sexual selection has had no check in 
developing the brightest and most conspicuous colours. If 
such a bird was not able to defend itself from all foes, its loud 
cries would attract them, its bright colours direct them, to 
its own destruction. The white cockatoo of Australia is a 
similar instance. It is equally conspicuous amongst the 
dark-green foliage by its pure white colour, and equally its 
loud screams proclaim from afar its resting-place, whilst its 
powerful beak protects it from all enemies excepting man. 
In the smaller species of parrots the beak is not sufficiently 
strong to protect them from their enemies, and most of them 
are coloured green, which makes them very difficult to 
distinguish amongst the leaves. I have been looking for 
several minutes at a tree, in which were scores of small green 
parrots, making an incessant noise, without being able to 
distinguish one; and I recollect once in Australia firing at 
what I thought was a solitary “‘ green leek ” parrot amongst 
a bunch of leaves, and to my astonishment five “ green 
leeks ”’ fell to the ground, the whole bunch of apparent leaves 
having been composed of them. The bills of even the 
smallest parrots must, however, be very useful to them to 
guard the entrances to their nests in the holes of trees, in 
which they breed. 
I believe that the principal use of the long sharp bill of 
the toucan is also that of a weapon with which to defend 
itself against its enemies, especially when nesting in the hole 
of a tree. Any predatory animal must face this formidable 
beak if seeking to force an entrance to the nest; and I know 
by experience that the toucan can use it with great quick- 
ness and effect. I kept a young one of the largest Nicaraguan 
species (Ramphastus tocard) for some time, until it one day 
came within reach of and was killed by my monkey. It was 
a most comical looking bird when hopping about, and though 
