TOUCANS. 179 



an extreme degree, leaping from bough to bough 

 with the most graceful agility ; their flight, how- 

 ever, is laboured, and in straight lines ; and though 

 rapid, is evidently attended with much exertion ; 

 they fly with difficulty against the wind, raising 

 the beak above the axis of the body, and propell- 

 ing themselves at short intervals. They nestle in 

 hollow trees, excavating the decaying wood with 

 their beaks, and lay in the cavity two eggs, of a 

 round form, and delicately white in hue. 



GENUS RHAMPHASTOS. (LiNN.) 



The Toucans proper have the beak ungrooved, 

 thicker than the head ; the nostrils entirely con- 

 cealed, and placed at the edge of the thickened 

 frontlet of the beak. The wings are short ; the four 

 outmost quills graduated, and abruptly pointed. 

 The tail is comparatively short ; squared or but 

 slightly rounded at the extremity. In their in- 

 ternal anatomy they are remarkable for the cla- 

 vicles being separate, instead of uniting to form 

 the furcula, or merrythought. They are birds of 

 large size, generally black on the upper parts, 

 with vivid colours, chiefly red and yellow, on the 

 throat and breast. The beak is often tinted with 

 brilliant hues, which vanish after death. 



We know but little of the habits of the Toucans 

 in their native forests, but in captivity the man- 

 ners of two species have been detailed in interest- 

 ing memoirs by Mr. Broderip and Mr. Vigors. 

 The former of these gentlemen was informed by 

 Mr. Swainson who had seen these birds in the 

 forests of Brazil, that he had frequently observed 

 them perched on the tops of lofty trees, where 



