TOUCANS. 485 



body, with feeble organs of flight, he cannot seize his food on 

 the wing. He therefore sits on some opposite branch, eying 

 the fruit which he thinks will suit his taste, and then darting 

 off, seizes a mouthful, and returns to his perch. 



Though their general diet is fruit, they also devour small 

 birds and their eggs, as well, probably, as caterpillars, and the 

 larvae of insects in general. Mr. Broderip describes the curious 

 way in which he saw a toucan seize a small bird, pluck off 

 the feathers, and having broken the bones of the wings and 

 legs with his beak, continue working away till he had re- 

 duced it to a shapeless mass. He then hopped from perch to 

 perch, uttering a peculiar hollow, chattering noise, and began 

 pulling off piece after piece, till he had swallowed the whole, 

 not even leaving the beak and legs. In a quarter of an hour 

 he had finished, when he cleansed his bill from the feathers. 

 After a time he returned his food into his crop, and after 

 masticating the morsel for a while in his bill, again swal- 

 lowed it. 



The bird mentioned was in captivity ; and though his food 

 consisted of bread, boiled vegetables, and eggs, he showed a 

 decided preference for animal food when given to him. 



The toucan (Ramphastos) belongs to the genus of scan- 

 sorial birds. There are several species, five of which inhabit 

 the forests of the Upper Amazon. The largest of that region 

 is Cuvier's toucan, and is distinguished from its nearest rela- 

 tives by the feathers at the bottom of the back being of a 

 saffron hue instead of red. It lays its eggs in hollows of trees, 

 at a great height from the ground, and moults between March 

 and June. 



Solitary toucans are sometimes met with, hopping silently 

 up and down the larger boughs, and peering into the crevices 



