THE TOUCANS 



1753 



Toco Toucan 



developed bills, contrary to expectation, being no encumbrance to them. The voice 

 of the toucans is short and unmelodious, and somewhat different in every species." 



The general color of this bird (Rhamphastus toco) is black, with 

 a broad white band across the rump; the under surface of the body 

 is also black, with the vent crimson; the throat is white, fading into yellow on 

 the neck, and followed by a crimson band on the fore-neck. The length is nearly 

 two feet, and the bill is nearly six and one-half inches long. It has a very wide dis- 

 tribution in South America, being found from Guiana to the Lower Amazon, and 

 extending through Brazil and Bolivia to Argentina. Mr. White met with it 

 near Oran, frequenting the high forest trees in large flocks. 



Of the smaller-billed toucans, some of the best known are the 



so-called aracaris (Pteroglossus}; and an incident recorded by Mr. 

 Toucans 



Stolzmann, during his travels in Peru, shows how difficult these birds 



are to see in their forest surroundings, his experience being very similar to that of 

 Bates with the curl-crested toucan (P. beauharnasi) on the Amazon. Stolzmann 

 says that when procuring a pair of the yellow-billed aracari (P. flauirostris) , or 

 yurimaguas, he fired in a high tree at a bird, which uttered some piercing cries as it 

 fell, and in a moment he was surrounded by ten of the birds, keeping up a fearful 

 din. On a second shot being fired, they all disappeared. This circumstance proves, 

 as he says, that although only one individual can be seen, it does not follow that 

 there are no more in the neighborhood, as they are, in fact, always in little troops, 

 according to the general habit of toucans in Peru. 



LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER. 



