Toucans and other Picarians. 101 



Chapter XIX. 



TOUCANS AND OTHER PICARIANS. 



Of the remaining Picarice which it will be necessary to deal with 

 are the Hoopoes, Bee-Eaters, Hollers, Toucans and allies, Barbets, 

 and Touracous. The Motmots are beautiful 

 birds, but very rarely imported ; Cuvier's 

 Podargus and the Oil- Bird need not be con- 

 sidered. The Cuckoos generally are most 

 unsatisfactory as cage-birds, the European 

 and Guira Cuckoos being more frequently 

 met with than others, but neither of them is 

 likely to become very popular. 



Hoopoes (Upupidce). 

 Common Hoopoe (TJpupa epops). 



The female is rather smaller than the 

 male, has a much shorter wing, bill, and 

 crest, so that there need never be the least difficulty in dis- 

 tinguishing her. 



Bee-Eaters (Meropidce). 

 Common Bee-Eater (Merops apiaster). 



The female is rather duller in colouring than the male, and has 

 the two central tail-feathers shorter. Mr R. Phillipps notes the 

 absence of yellow from the forehead in this sex. 



Rollers (Goraciidce). 



Common Roller (Coracias garrulus). 



The female is smaller than the male, and has a smaller and 

 shorter bill ; her colouring is slightly duller. In a female in the 

 Museum, which may possibly be in immature plumage, the rump is of 

 a greenish-turquoise colour instead of the usual dull violet, the upper 

 tail-coverts silvery bluish-green instead of the usual dull dark green 

 with pale borders. 



"We now come to the Toucans, a group of gaudily-coloured birds 

 with very ungainly bills. Many of them are very large, and 

 consequently require spacious cages. They fetch high prices, and 

 yet, I believe, do not remain long on the hands of the dealers. 



THE COMMON HOOPOE. 



