Toucan now exhibited in this Country. 485 



as were dissected, induced Mr. S. to suspect that the Toucans were 

 partly carnivorous, feeding upon eggs and young birds, as well as 

 fruits and berries ; and that while perched upon these lofty trees, 

 they were in fact busily employed in watching the departure of 

 parent-birds from their nests. He never could catch them in the fact, 

 nor did any thing appear upon his numerous dissections, to enable 

 him to determine, with any degree of certainty, on what they fed. 

 Mr. Such, who has lately come from Brazil, who has improved his 

 excellent opportunities by a spirit of inquiry and industry, and has 

 brought with him, as their results, a very rich addition to the fund 

 of Ornithological materials, has informed me that he has seen these 

 birds feed on the Toucan-berry, that he has observed them fre- 

 quently engaged in quarrels with the monkies, and that he is cer- 

 tain that they also feed on eggs, nestlings, &c. On the 23rd Nov., 

 Mr. Vigors, at the Zoological Club, in the course of explaining 

 some of the affinities and analogies of which he is daily giving us 

 such beautiful illustrations, spoke of a living Toucan, which was 

 then, and is still, exhibited, with many other curious animals,* at 

 No. 42, St. Martin's Lane. He stated that the bird had been fed 

 on a vegetable diet ; but that the proprietor had told him, that on 

 the occasion of a young Canary bird having escaped and gone near 

 to the Toucan, the latter appeared more than usually excited, that 

 thereupon the barrier between them was removed, and that the 

 Toucan instantly seized and devoured the Canary bird. 



The next day I went to the place in question, and saw the 

 Toucan ; — but here I must observe, that it is not my intention to 

 enter into any specific description of the bird, or to advert to the 

 importance of what I beheld as an Ornithological fact ; — I shall 

 leave those departments to pens more capable of doing justice to 

 them. I may be, perhaps, allowed to say, that from the rough 

 account and sketch which I sent to Mr. Swainson, (for I do not 

 profess to be an Ornithologist,) he is of opinion that the bird may 

 be undescribrd ; and that he hopes shortly to visit London and 

 examine it himself. Should his supposition be correct, its charac- 

 ters will be recorded, most probably, in the pages of this Journal. 



* Among them are several live Birds, Snakes, Alligators, &c. 



