Bin us. 



171 



along the (op of the upper chap, the iiiuier side beinp round also; 

 tlie whole of the bill is extremely slight, and a little thicker than 

 parchment. The upper chap is of ii bright ye'.low, except on 

 each side, which is of a fine scarlet colour ; as is ulso the lower 

 chap, except at the base, which is purple. IVtween the head 

 and the bill there is a black line of separation all round the base 

 of the bill ; in the upper part of « hicli the nostrils are placed^ 

 and are almost covered with fciitliers ; which has occasioned 

 some writers to say, that the toucan has no nostrils. Round 

 the eyes, on each side of the head, is a space of bluish skin, void 

 of feathers, above which the head is black, except a white spot 

 on each side joining to the base of the upper chap. The hin- 

 der part of the neck, the back, wings, tail, belly, and thighs, are 

 black. The under side of the head, throat, and the beginning 

 of tile breast are white. Between the white on the breast, and 

 the black on the belly, is a space of red feathers, in the form of 

 a new moon, with its horns upwards. The legs, feet, and claws, 

 are of an ash-colour ; and the toes stand like those of the parrot, 

 t'/.o before, r.nd two behind. 



It is reported, by travellers, that this bird, though furnished 

 with so fomii iable a beak is harmless and gentle, being so easily 

 made tame as to sit and hatch its young in houses.* It feeds 

 chietiy upon pepper, which it devours very greedily, gorging it- 

 self in such a manner that it voids it crude and unconcocted. 

 This, however, is no objection to the natives from using it 

 again : they even prefer it before that pepper which is fresh 

 ' gathered from the tree : and seem persuaded that the strength 

 and heat of the pepper is qualified by the bird, and that all its 

 noxious qualities are thus exhausted. 



Whatever be the truth of this report, nothing is more certain 

 than that the toucan lives only upon a vegetable diet ; and in a do- 

 mestic state, to which it is frequently brought in the warm coun- 

 tries where it is bred, it is seen to prefer such food to all other. 

 Pozzo, who bred one tame, asserts, that it leaped up and down, 

 wagged the tail, and cried with a voice resembling that of a 

 magpie. It fed upon the same things that parrots do ; but was 

 most greedy of grapes, which, being plucked off one by one, and 



• The toucans, according- to M. D'Arara, destroy a great number of 

 birds, their large bill rendering- them formidable to most species. They aU 

 tack them in their aests, and devour their eggs and young ones. 



p2 



