THE TOUCANS IN GENERAL. 



93 



OF THE TOUCANS IN GENERAL. 



THE beaks of all the Toucans are enormously large and convex ; they 

 are bent at the end, hollow, very light, and jagged at the edges. The 

 nostrils are small, round, and situated close to the head. The tongue is 

 long, narrow, and feathered at the edges. The feet are adapted for 

 climbing, and have the toes placed two forward and two backward. 



These birds are all natives of the hotter parts of South America, 

 where they feed on fruit. They are very noisy, and are generally seen 

 in small flocks of eight or ten in number : they are continually moving 

 from place to place in quest of food, going northward or southward as 

 the fruits ripen. If brought up young they are easily tamed, and in 

 this state are very familiar. They breed in the hollows of trees, fre- 

 quently in places deserted by Woodpeckers : and the female lays two 

 eggs. It is probable that they have more than one brood in the year. 



