FAMILY RHAMPHASTID.E 



Along one of the forest trails at Barro Colorado, 

 I heard some very soft and slow, rather wheezy 

 notes and turning towards the direction from 

 whence they came, saw an incredibly, vivid 

 velvety patch of colors on a low tree ; it was gone 

 in an instant and although I followed it into the 

 brush I never caught another glimpse of it. 

 Examination of specimens afterward showed that 

 what I had seen was a male of this species. 



42. Family RHAMPHASTTDJE 

 The Toucans 



A rather small family of arboreal birds of 

 the forest regions of tropical America (exclu- 

 sive of the West Indies), closely related to 

 the barbets, but distinguished by their larger 

 size and enormous bill, which is often nearly 

 as long as the body and very thick, and 

 larger in proportion than in any other birds. 

 It is slightly curved and in some cases ser- 

 rated along the cutting edges, and is of very 

 light, hollow structure. 



The toucans nest in hollow trees and feed 

 largely on fruits. They are somewhat gre- 

 garious and very noisy. Both the bill and 

 plumage are usually brightly and conspicu- 

 ously colored. Though somewhat resemb- 

 bling the Old World hornbills in habits and 

 in the great development of the bill, the 

 toucans are not closely related to them. 



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