32 THE BEAK. 



moment when old birds leave their nests, when down they 

 pounce, and feed on the young ones, and even contest a 

 prize with the monkeys. How skilfully, and at the same 

 time how powerfully he can use this apparently awkward 

 and cumbrous bill of his, we learn from the way in which 

 a Toucan, which was for some years kept in the Museum of 

 the Zoological Gardens in London, disposed of a small bird. 

 The moment the owner of the Toucan introduced his hand 

 with the small bird into the cage, the Toucan, which was 

 on its perch, snatched it with its bill. The poor little 

 bird was dead in an instant, killed by the violence of the 

 squeeze. As soon as it was dead, the Toucan hopped with 

 it still in its bill to another perch, and then placing it with 

 his bill between his right foot and the perch, began to strip 

 off the feathers. When he had plucked away most of them, 

 he broke the bones of the wings and legs (still holding the 

 little bird in the same position), with his bill, taking the 

 limbs therein, and giving at the same time a strong lateral 

 wrench. He continued this work with great dexterity, till 

 he had almost reduced the body to a shapeless mass. He at 

 first ate all the soft parts, leaving the larger bones to the 

 last, which seemed to give him more trouble, particularly the 

 beak and legs. 



Beaks of Horrfbills.* 



In the Buceros or Hornbill, the beak is equally mon- 

 strous, and rendered still more hideously disproportioned 

 by the addition of a large naked bony protuberance on the 



* Buceros Violaceus, and Rhinoceros. 



