ORDER SCANSORES. 477 



couples which build it. They are easily tamed, and 

 even learn to speak ; but their flesh has a bad scent. 



The Toucans.* Ramphastos. L. 



May be known from all other birds by their enor- 

 mous bill, almost as thick and long as their body, 

 light and cellular within, arched towards the end, 

 and irregularly indented at the edges. The tongue 

 is long, narrow, and furnished on each side with 

 barbs like a feather. They are found only in the 

 warm parts of America, and live in small troops on 

 fruit and insects ; but they devour also, during the 

 laying season, eggs, and little birds newly hatched. 

 The structure of their bill obliges them to swallow 

 then' food without mastication; when they have 

 seized it, they throw it in the air, the more easily to 

 swallow it. Their feet are short ; the wings little 

 extended, and the tail tolerably long. They build 

 in the trunks of trees 



The Toucans, properly so called, have the bill 

 thicker than the head, they are generally black with 

 bright colours on the throat, breast, and rump. 

 These parts of their plumage were employed for- 

 merly in making a sort of embroidery. 



Toco Toucan. {Ramphastos Toco.) Enl. 82. 

 VaiU. 2. 



Black ; throat and rump, white ; vent, red ; bill, red, 

 with black tip. Cayenne. 



* Toucan is from their Brazilian name, Tuca. Ramphastos was applied 

 by Linnaeus,Trom pa/^of, bill, on account of the size of that part. 



