THE PIE KIND. UK* 



pie kind, whose bill is nearly as large as the rest 

 of its whole body. 



Of this extraordinary bird there are four or 

 five varieties. I will only describe the red-beak- 

 ed 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 singu- 

 lar conformation. It is about the size of and 

 shaped like a jackdaw, with a large head to sup- 

 port its monstrous 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 quarter, 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 also 

 the lower chap, except at the base, which is 

 purple. Between the head 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 be- 

 ginning of the breast, are white. Between the 



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