LECTURE V. 113 



heir own elasticity. The tongue in tin Tou- 



.s<> much resembles a long .sleud< r f< ather, 



that the first describers considered it as really 



L: it is of a horny substance, and dividid 

 at the edges into innumerable notches or barbs. 

 Tlu- Toucans arc all natives of South America, 

 and feed mi the softer kind of fruits. One of 

 the most rcmurkahle specie.- is the Toco, the Ram- 



tos Toco of Linna-us, a bird about the size 

 of a Pigeon, black above and white beneath; 

 with a bill measuring more than seven inches 

 in length, and of a reddish-yellow colour with 

 a black tip. 



The Tueans are not very numerous, and 

 are in general of very gay colours ; the under 

 parts being commonly either red or bright yel- 

 . ied with both these colours; while 

 the prevailing colour of the upper parts is a 

 greenish black. The bills are, in some species, not 

 less brilliant, being richly marked and shaded 

 with red, green, or yellow, generally in the form 

 of long and broad stripes or bands on each 

 side. 



The genus Psittacus or Parrot needs very- 

 little description, since every one knows the usual 



