30 DIVISION I. VERTEBRAL ANIMALS.—CLASS II. AVES. 
The last part gave him the most trouble ; but it was clear that he felt great 
enjoyment ; for whenever he raised his prey from the perch, he appeared to 
exult, now masticating the morsel with his toothed bill, and applying his 
tongue to it; now attempting to gorge it, and now making the peculiar, 
chattering noise, accompanied by the shivering motion above mentioned. 
The whole operation, from the time of seizing his prey to that of devouring the 
last morsel, lasted about a quarter of an hour. He then cleansed his bill from 
the feathers by rubbing it against the perches and bars of his cage. While on 
this part of the subject, it may be as well to mention another fact, which 
appears to me not unworthy of notice. Ihave more than once seen him 
return his food after he had taken it to his crop, and, after miasticating the 
morsel a while in his bill, again swallow it, the whole operation, particularly 
the return of the food to the bill, bearing a strong resemblance to the anal- 
ogous action in ruminating animals. The food, on which I saw him so 
employed, was a piece of beef, which had evidently been macerated some 
time in the crop. While masticating it, he made the same hollow, chatter- 
ing noise as he made over the remains of the Goldfinch. Previous to this 
operation, he had examined his feeding-trough, in which there was nothing 
but bread, which I saw him take up and reject; and it appeared to me that 
he was thus reduced from necessity to the above mode of solacing his palate 
with animal food. THis food consists of bread, boiled vegetables, eggs, and 
flesh, to which a little bird is now added about every second or third day. 
He shows a decided preference for animal food, picking out all morsels of 
that description, and not resorting to the vegetable diet till all the former is 
exhausted.” 
Famity Bucconipa. Barbers. 
These birds are distinguished at once by their large, conical beak, which 
appears swollen, as it were, or puffed out at the sides of its base, and is 
bearded (whence its name) with fine tufts of stiff bristles directed forwards. 
Their short wings and heavy proportions do not admit of swift flight; and 
their prey consists of insects and young birds, which they surprise; they 
also eat varieties of fruits. Their nests are generally built in the holes of 
trees. The two sub-families, Buccon’nw and Capotonine, are founded on 
the genera Bucco (Cuvier), and Capito (Vieillot). They are found in 
both the Old and New Worlds. 
Swainson says of the Barbets, — 
“There is something very grotesque in the appearance of all the Puff 
birds, and their habits, in a state of nature, are no less singular. They 
frequent open cultivated spots near habitations, always perching on the 
withered branches of a low tree, where they will sit nearly motionless for 
hours, unless, indeed, they desery some luckless insect passing near them, at 
jie 
