17? LECTURE V* 



enormous size, of a lengthened, slightly curved, 

 and pointed shape, and on the upper mandible, 

 towards the base, is an extremely large process, 

 equal in thickness to the bill itself, and turning 

 upwards and backwards in the form of a thick, 

 sharp-pointed horn. The use of this strange pro- 

 cess is by some supposed to be that of enabling 

 the bird the more easily to tear out the entrails 

 of its prey ; but others affirm that it is not of 

 a predacious nature, feeding only on vegetable 

 substances. This bird is principally found in the 

 East-Indian islands. In the Leverian Museum 

 is a remarkably fine specimen. 



But the genus Ramphastos or Toucan ex- 

 hibits a still greater degree of disproportion be- 

 tween the size of the bill and that of the bird ; 

 for the Toucans in general are not larger than 

 Magpies; but are provided with bills of so in- 

 ordinate a size as, in some species, almost to 

 equal that of the whole body: the bill in this 

 genus however, notwithstanding its size, is of 

 a very slight substance, having a very large in- 

 ternal cavity, and the exterior sides, in the living 

 bird, are so slight that they may be impressed 

 by the fingers, and afterwards restore themselves 



