J6 A HISTORY OF 



with a lovely blue, black, and white : the tail is black, and the feel 

 of a pale brown. Like the magpie, it feeds upon fruits, will kill small 

 birds, and is extremely docile. 



The Chatterer also, which is a native of Germany, may be placed 

 in this rank, and is somewhat less than the former. It is variegated 

 with a beautiful mixture of colours, red, ash-colour, chesnut, and yel- 

 low ; but what distinguishes it from all other birds, are the horny ap- 

 pendages from the tips of seven of the lesser quill feathers, w'lich 

 stand bare of beards, and have the colour and gloss of the best red 

 sealing-wax. 



The Roller is not less beautiful than any of the former. The V east 

 and belly are blue ; the head green ; and the wings variegate'l with 

 blue, black, and white. But it may be distinguished from al 5 miners 

 by a sort of naked tubercles or warts near the eyes, which still r ftu',er 

 contribute to increase its beauty. 



To this class may be. added a numerous list from all the Vojwcal 

 forests of the east and west, where the birds are remarkable toi dis- 

 cordant voices and brilliant plumage. I will fix only upon onfi, v^'hich 

 is the most singular of all the feathered creation. This is tt>ti Tou- 

 can, a bird of the pie kind, whose bill is nearly as large as the test, oi 

 its whole body. 



Of this extraordinary bird there are four or five varieties. I will 

 only describe the red-beaked toucan ; and as the figure of this bird 

 makes the principal part of its history, I will follow Edwards through 

 all the minutiae of its singular conformation. It is about the size of 

 and shaped like a jackdaw, with a large head to support its mon- 

 strous bill. This bill, from the angles of the mouth to its point, is six 

 inches and a half, and its breadth, in the thickest part, is a little 

 more than two. Its thickness near the head is one inch and a quar- 

 ter ; and it is a little rounded along the top of the upper chap, the 

 under side being round also; the whole of the bill extremely slight, 

 and a little thicker than parchment. The upper chap is of a bright 

 yellow, except on each side, which is of a fine scarlet colour ; as is al- 

 V" lower chap, except at the base, which is purple. Between the 

 nead and the bill there is a black line of separation all round the 

 base of the bill, in the upper part of which the nostrils are placed, 

 and are almost covered with feathers, which has occasioned some 

 writers to say, that the toucan has no nostrils. Round the eyes, on 

 each side of the head, is a space of bluish skin, void of feathers, above 

 which the head is black, except a white spot on each side joining to 

 the base of the upper chap. The hinder part of the neck, the back, 

 wings, tail, belly, and thighs, are black. The under side of the head, 

 throat, and the beginning of the breast, are white. Between the 

 white on the breast, and the black on the belly, is a space of red 

 feathers in the form of a new moon, with its horns upwards. The 

 legs, feet, and claws, are of an ash-colour, and the toes stand like 

 those of the parrot, two before, and two behind. 



I. is reported by travellers, that this bird, though furnisned with 

 o formidable a beak, is harmless and gentle, being so easily made 

 tame, as to sit and hatch its young in houses. It feeds chiefly upon 

 pepper, which it devours very greedily, gorging itself in such a man- 

 ner, that it voids it crude and unconcocted. This, however, is no 



