THE YELLOW-THROATED TOUCAN. 



{Rhamphastu<; tucanus. ) 



"Gaudy in plumage, and ungainly in 

 appearance, these large billed birds are 

 denizens of the tropical forests of Cen- 

 tral and South America." Some of the 

 species of Toucans are also found nearly 

 as far North as the Rio Grande River. 

 According to Dr. Sclater, the Toucan 

 family includes five genera and fifty-nine 

 species of these birds, the size of whose 

 bill, as compared with their bodies, gives 

 them a most ludicrous appearance. 

 Prince Maximilian has said that "the 

 Toucans are very common in all parts 

 of the extensive forests of the Brazils, 

 and are killed in great numbers at the 

 cooler portions of the year, for the pur- 

 poses of the table. To the stranger they 

 are of even greater interest than to^ the 

 natives, from their remarkable form, and 

 from the rich and strongly-contrasted 

 style of their coloring, their black and 

 green bodies being adorned with mark- 

 ings of the most brilliant hues — red, 

 orange, blue and white; the naked parts 

 of the body being dyed with brilliant col- 

 ors; the legs, blue or green; the irides 

 blue, yellow, etc. ; and the large bill of a 

 different color in every species, and in 

 many instances very gaily marked." The 

 Toucan's flight, in spite of its large and 

 apparently heavy bill, is easy and not 

 without grace. They fly without trouble 

 among and over the trees O'f their native 

 forests, and their notes, somewhat char- 

 acteristic for each species, are short and 

 unmusical. Like some of our own birds, 

 they seem to find great pleasure in 

 annoying the birds of prey, especially the 

 owls. 



The name Toucan is the Brazilian 

 name for this group of birds. It had 

 been used long before it was introduced 

 into the European languages. Thevet 

 was the first person to publish the name 

 Toucan. In 1558 he published a descrip- 



tion and a woodcut of the bird. A most 

 interesting description of a Toucan is 

 that of Oviedo, published in 1527. The 

 following is a translation of a portion of 

 the description taken from Willughby's 

 Ornithology : "There is no bird secures 

 her young ones better from the Monkeys, 

 which are very noisom to the young of 

 most Birds. For when she perceives the 

 approach of these Enemies, she so settles 

 in her Nest as to put her Bill out at the 

 hole, and gives the Monkeys such a wel- 

 come therewith, that they presently pack 

 away, and glad they scape so." The Tou- 

 cans are spoken of in quite a large num- 

 ber of very early publications. This does 

 not seem at all strange, for the strikingly 

 peculiar characteristics of these birds 

 must have excited the wonderment of the 

 early visitors to the unknown forests of 

 the western continent. 



The Toucans are very loquacious birds 

 and may often be located by their per- 

 petual chattering. Their note or cry 

 resembles the word "Toucano" and this 

 is supposed to have been the origin of 

 their name. It has also been argued that 

 the name is derived from two Indian 

 roots, the translation of which is nose of 

 bone. 



The nesting habits of the Toucans are 

 not easily studied, for the eggs are laid 

 in the hollow limbs and holes of very 

 large and tall trees. While they are very 

 fond of nearly all kinds of fruits, which 

 form their chief food, they will also swal- 

 low insect larvae, reptiles and small birds 

 with apparent relish. Their own flesh is 

 said to be very delicate. On the ground 

 they progress with a rather awkward 

 hopping movement, their legs being kept 

 widely apart. In ascending a tree they 

 do not climb, but mount from one branch 

 to another with a series of jumps, ascend- 

 ing to the tops of the very loftiest trees. 



