THE BEAK. 35 



large short beaks; consequently, when the supply 

 of insects is abundant, they hare little more to 

 do than fly with open mouth, and close their beaks 

 upon the objects which cross their flight. This 

 the Swallow does with a sharp clicking jerk, which 

 may be heard by an attentive listener on a calm day, 

 at a considerable distance. 



In the Toucan, the beak forms a most prominent 

 and unsightly feature, being quite a deformity in 

 that otherwise beautiful and graceful bird"""; and 

 were it as heavy in proportion, as the bills of 

 other birds, it might prove a very serious weight, 

 and materially impede its flight, if not quite weigh 

 it down to the ground. It is, however, so remark- 

 ably light and hollow as to be no inconvenience 

 whatever, so that the bird can fly with such swift- 

 ness and certainty as to catch grapes and other fruit 

 thrown to- it before they fall to the ground. In its 

 operation, too, it differs from those of other birds ; 

 seizing and acting upon the substances within its 

 grasp, by a lateral or side-way rather than an up 

 and down or perpendicular motion. But they do 

 not always confine themselves to fruits, their beaks 

 being equally calculated, by their muscular strength 

 for crushing the bones of small birds ; and in their 

 native forests they are seen perched on high trees, 

 watching the moment when old birds leave their 

 nests, when down they pounce, and feed on the young 

 ones, and even contest a prize with the monkies. 

 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, 

 * See p. 42. 



D 2 



