284 THE BOOK OF BIRDS 



the foliage, fly ofl" to the more inaccessible parts of the 

 forest." 



Bates believed that the chief use of the Toucan's large 

 beak was as a sort of long hand in gathering its food. " It 

 can reach and devour immense quantities of fruit whilst 

 remaining seated, and thus its heavy body and gluttonous 

 appetite" are alike suited. The beak of the big Toco 

 Toucan is some eight and a half inches long — one-third of 

 the entire length of the bird. 



The weight of the beak is comparatively little, for it is 

 quite a thin structure ; but of course it is cumbrous, and 

 its owner, when going to sleep, has a habit of resting it on 

 its back, well muffled up in the soft feathers. The tail moves 

 up, just for all the world like, a mechanical toy, and drops 

 lightly over the back. When thus packed up for the night, 

 nothing can be seen but a fluffy bundle of feathers ; the 

 huge and gaily-coloured beak is completely hidden. 



Let me close with a couple of stories which H. W. Bates 

 tells in his book of South American travel : " One day 

 whilst walking along the principal pathway in the woods 

 near Ega, I saw one of these Toucans seated gravely on 

 a low branch close to the road, and had no difficulty in 

 seizing it with my hand. 



" It turned out to be a runaway pet bird. No one, 

 however, came to own it. The bird was in a half-starved 

 and sickly condition, but after a few days of good living 

 it recovered health and spirits, and became one of the most 

 amusing pets imaginable. ... I allowed Tocano to go free 

 about the house. . . . He ate of everything that we eat ; 

 beef, turtle, fish, farinha, fruit, and was a constant at- 

 tendant at our table — a cloth spread on a mat. 



" His appetite was ravenous and his powers of digestion 

 quite wonderful. He got to know the meal hours to a 



