330puT<ir UBirtioiiari) of 8m'm;itrtr gtaturr. 697 



Tlieir large beaks give them a very awkward 

 appearance, more especially when flying; 

 yet in the trees they use them with as much 

 apparent ease as though they were to our 

 eyes of a more convenient form. Alighted 



on a tree, one usually acts the part of a sen 

 tinel, uttering constantly the loud cry Tu- 

 cdno, whence they derive their name. The 

 others disperse over the branches, climbing 

 about by aid of their beaks, and seize the 

 fruit. We hod been told that these birds 

 were in the habit of tossing up their food to 

 a considerable distance, and catching it as 

 it fell ; but, as far as we could observe, they 

 merely threw back the head, allowing the 

 fruit to fall down the throat. We saw at 

 different times tamed Toucans, and they 

 never were seen to toss their food, although 

 almost invariably throwing back the head. 

 This habit is rendered necessary by the 

 length of the bill and the stiffness of the 

 tongue, which prevents their eating as do 

 other birds. All the time while feeding, a 

 hoarse chattering is kept up, and at intervals 

 they unite with the noisy sentry, and scream 

 a concert that may be heard a mile. Having 

 appeased their appetites, they fly towards 

 the deeper forest, and quietly doze away the 

 noon. Often in the very early morning a 

 few of them may be seen sitting silently upon 

 the branches of some dead tree, apparently 

 awaiting the coming sunlight before start- 

 ing for their feeding-trees. Toucans, when 

 tamed, are exceedingly familiar, playful 

 birds, capable of learning as many feats as 

 any of the parrots, with the exception of 

 talking. When turning about on their perch, 

 they effect their object by one sudden jump. 

 They eat anything, but are particularly fond 

 of meat. When roosting they have a habit 

 of elevating their tails over their backs. 

 The beaks of the red-billed Toucans are 

 richly marked with red, yellow, and black ; 

 but preserved specimens soon lose their 

 beauty." 



The COLLAHED TOUCAN. (Ramphastos 

 tnrqnntns.) Total length eighteen inches; 

 of the bill seven : upper mandible whitish ; 

 lower, black : general colour of the plumage 

 black, with the back of the neck crossed by 

 a red collar or bar : fore part of the neck 

 whitish, spotted with red. and streaked with 

 black : belly green ; vent feathers red ; thighs 

 purple, and legs greenish. This bird is a ' 

 | native of those parts of Mexico which border ' 

 on the sea, and is supposed to feed on fish. | 



Illiger separated from Ramphastos, under 

 the name of Pteroglosstts, those species which 

 have the beak not so thick as the head, and 

 are of inferior size, the tail being graduated. 



TOURACO. (Carythaix.) A genus of 

 birds allied to the Scaruore*. They are 

 natives of Africa. Their generic character 

 may be thus stated : Bill short, rather 

 small, high, and greatly compressed : the 

 frontal feathers lying upon and conceal- 

 ing the nostrils : culmen high, curved to the 

 tip : lower mandible narrow, both mandibles 

 being distinctly notched at the tip and finely 

 serrated : wings short, and rounded : tail 

 long, broad, and rounded : feet short and 

 atrong : claws short, thick, and much cora- 



TOORAOO. (CORTTHA.TX PERSA.J 



pressed. The prevailing colour of these 

 elegant birds is green, varied in some species 

 with purple on the wings and tail. They 

 are natives of Africa, where they perch on 

 the highest branches of the forest trees ; and 

 feed principally on soft fruits. The most 

 delicate species is thought to be Corythaix 

 erythrolophus of Swainson : its crest is red, 

 erect, and compressed ; sides of the head, 

 ears and chin, and patch round the eye 

 (which is large, red, and brilliant) white; 

 general plumage green, inclining to bluish 

 on the body and belly ; quills rich purple 

 violet ; tail rounded ; bill yellow ; feet gray- 

 ish black. When the bird is excited or in 

 action, the crest is elevated in a compressed 

 subconical shape ; and when thus erected it 

 ivcs the head a helmeted air. 



TOXODON. The name given to an ex- 

 tinct genus of gigantic mammiferous ani- 

 mals, discovered by Mr. Darwin during his 

 sojourn in Banda Oriental, and thus named 

 by Professor Owen, whose notice of this in- 

 teresting discovery appears in the ' Proceed- 

 ings of the Geological Society of London,' in 

 1837. The following clear and concise ac- 

 count, which we extract from Mr. Darwin's 

 Journal, will give the reader a good idea of 

 this wonderful genus of extinct animals. 

 " Having heard of some giant's bones at a 

 neighbouring farm-house on the Sarandis, 

 a small stream entering the Rio Negro, I 



3 o 



