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the way, are more formidable in appearance than in reality.

They can, however, give you an ugly tear by getting hold with

the point of the bill and, by a dexterous movement, twisting the

flesh round-—this will cause a wound like that front a severe

pinch, which is apt to fester.


Toucans are very clean birds, and are extremely fond of

water. They like a good syringe immensely, but care must be

taken that they do not get a chill while drying. Being very

sparsely feathered they will not stand severe cold—they lack the

down under the feathers possessed by many birds, notabty by the

Parrots—and 50° is the lowest temperature in which they should

be kept to insure their remaining in good condition ; although

mine have stood for months a temperature of only 40° in an

unheated aviary, but at such a low temperature they do not care

to bathe, or preen themselves if syringed, and therefore get

grim\ T -looking and rnopey.


I prefer the larger species, as they are, as a rule, more

brilliantly coloured and are more docile and attached to their

keepers.


I feed my Toucans on a mixture composed of yolk of egg,

ants’ eggs, grocers’ currants, various seeds ground down, mixed

together with pea meal, put into a warm oven with syrup. They

get to like this well, and it will keep any length of time. I add

beef dripping to this mixture as recpiired for use, and give it

to all my soft-bills. Occasionally I give the Toucans soaked

currants as a tit-bit—they like these and swallow them as if they

were pills. They are very fond of grapes-—the larger Toucans

will swallow them whole like the currants, tossing them up with

the end of the bill and catching them in the open gape, when

they go down at one gulp. The smaller Toucans generally break

or cut them in two before finally disposing of them. They like

bananas cut up fine, also apples and pears. Mealworms they

will take from the hand—but I hardly think these are suitable

food for fruit-eating birds such as Toucans.


I consider Toucans pleasing, affectionate, and very

attractive birds—but above all things they must be kept clean.

Sawdust is the best thing for the bottom of the cage.


If the food and water be placed on the level of the perches

they do not often leave them to get on the bottom of the cage—

but they should be supplied with at least two perches, so that

they may hop from one to the other for exercise.


When asleep they look very peculiar, with the tail

perpendicular, the head and bill buried in the feathers on the

back, and the body scpiatted 011 the perch.



