RAM 



RAM 



The rampart is fometimes lined, i. e. fortified with 3, (lone 

 wall withinfide, othcrwife it hath a bermc. 



It is enconipaned alfo with a moat or ditch, out of which 

 the earth that forms the rampart is dug. 



The height of the rampart (hoiild not exceed tliree fa- 

 thoms, this being fufficient to cover the houfes from the 

 battery of the cannon : neither ought its thicknefs to be 

 above ten or twelve, unlefs more earth be taken out of the 

 ditch than can be otherwile beitowed. Sec Constkuc- 

 TION, according to M. V aubaii s Jirjl Method. 



The ramparts of half-moons are the better fen- being low, 

 that tlie fmall fire of the defendants may the better reach 

 the bottom of the ditch ; but yet they innlt be fo high as 

 not to be commanded by the covert-way. 



Rampart is alfo ufed, in C'lv'd Architeilure, for the fpace 

 left void between the wall of a city and the next houfes. 

 Tliis is what the Romans call pomarium, in which it was for- 

 bid to build, and where they planted rows of trees, for the 

 people to walk and amufe themfelves under. 



RAMPARTS, in Geography, a town of Bengal ; 8 

 miles S.E. of Rungpour. 



RAMPERING, or Sodding, denotes the procefs of 

 building fod or turf walls, or banks. 



RAMPFERSGRUBE, in Geography, a town of Ger- 

 many, in the county of Henneberg ; fix miles W. of 

 Meinungen. 



RAMPHASTOS, the Toucan, in Ornithology, a genus 

 of birds of the order Picas, of which the generic charafter 

 is as follows: Bill very large, liglu, hollow, convex, fer- 

 rate at the edges ; each mandible incurvate at the tip ; noilrils 

 behind the bale of the bill, long, narrow ; the tongue is 

 feathered at the edges, the feet mollly climbers. 



The birds of this genus firft became known to naturalills 

 on the difcovery of South America, and to the warmer re- 

 gions they appear, in general, to be confined. Like the 

 hornbills, they are diitinguirtied by the fize of their beaks, 

 which, in fome fpecies, is nearly equal to that of the whole 

 body. It is, howevor, of a very light fubftance, and, ui the 

 living bird, it is compreflible between the fingers. Both 

 mandibles are ferrated in an outward direction ; the tongue 

 is of a hlglily fingular form, reprefentmg the appearance of 

 a very narrow lanceolate feather, being of a fomewhat horny 

 or cartilaginous nature, and divided on each fide into innu- 

 merable fhort and clofe-fet fibres ; in confequence of which 

 ftruclure it was defcribed by fome early writers on natural 

 hiftory as a real feather, fupplying the place of a tongue. 

 The orbits of the eyes are generally bare. Th'e toucans 

 are fuppofed to feed on fruits, but in a ftate of captivity 

 they will eat animal food. They depofit their eggs, which 

 are ufually two in number, in the hollows of trees, on the 

 furface of the decayed wood. Thefe birds have been as yet 

 met with only in South America, and there merely between 

 the tropics, being totally incapable of fultaining the cold. 

 They are eafily tamed and familiarized, and ieveral fpecies 

 have been brought to England, where fruits, fiPn, and flelh 

 have been promifcuoufly devoured by them with confiderable 

 voracity. Whatever was received by the bill was thrown 

 into the air, and on its return caught, and, without the 

 tlighteft malUcation, inftantly devoured. There are feven- 

 teen fpecies enumerated by Gmelin, though Mr. Latham 

 mentions only fifteen. 



Species. 



ViRlDls ; Green Toucan. Green, with a yellow belly, 

 and red rump. This fpecies is found in Cayenne, and is 

 about fourteen inches long. The upper mandible is yellow, 

 with red fides, and a black line in the middle ; the lower 



one is black, the bafe and round the noilrils are red'; the 

 teeth in both arc white ; the irides and naked orbits are yel- 

 low ; the legs are of a lead colour ; the claws arc black ; 

 the tail is wedged, beneath inchning to a(h ; head, chin, and 

 throat, in the male black, in the female bay, terminated by 

 a black narrow tranfverfe band. 



Edentulus ; Toothlefs Toucan. In this the bill is not 

 ferrate at the edges. It inhabits Cayenne, and is twelve 

 inches long. The upper part of the body is green, but be- 

 neath it is more of a yellowifh colour ; the head and neck 

 are chefnut ; the rump is red ; the upper mandible is brown, 

 the lower black ; the thighs green, and it is thought to be a 

 variety of the viridis. 



Pavonicus ; Pavonine Toucan. The general colour of 

 this is green ; but the feathers are fprinkled with red fpots. 

 It is alfo known by a mixture of red and changeable or 

 peacock-coloured feathers interfperfed. The bill is varie- 

 gated yellow and black ; the legs and claws are black. 



PiPEiuvoRUs ; Piperine Toucan. Green ; the fore parts 

 are black ; the vent and thighs red. This fpecies has been 

 defcribed by Edwards under the name of the green toucan. 

 Its length is about feventeen inches, and its general colour 

 is of a duU green ; the head, neck, and breall, are of a deep 

 black ; behind each ear is a fomewhat lengthened orange- 

 coloured fpot, and immediately behind the lower part of the 

 neck is an orange -coloured bar or collar ; the belly is pale 

 and yellowifli-green ; the thighs are purple ; the vent is red, 

 and the tail, which is cuneated, flightly tipped with dull 

 red ; the bill is about three inches long, and of a black 

 colour, but towards the bafe it is varied with red, whitilli, 

 and orange -yellow. In the female the head, neck, and breall, 

 are brown inilead of black, and the lower part of the belly 

 is grey. It is a native of Cayenne, and faid to feed on the 

 pepper of the country. The female of this fpecies has been 

 known to vary in having the bill of a horn colour, with a 

 black bar near the end, and two others near the edge ; the 

 ridge alfo being black, and the yellow crefcent at the neck 

 it wanting. 



Aracari. This fpecies is green, but the abdominal 

 band, vent, and rump, are red ; the belly and breaft are 

 yellow. It is a native of Brazil, Surinam, and Cayenne, 

 and is full fixteen inches long. The upper mandible is 

 black on the back and tip, but the fides are whitifli. The 

 bafe is three-lobed at the noftrils, with a white arch at the 

 root, lower black ; the head, the wings, and tail, are black ; 

 tlie breaft and body are yellow and Icarlet, with a black 

 roundilh fpot in the middle of the breait, and a fimilar 

 tranfverfe one on the beginning of the belly ; the thighs are 

 tawny. 



ToRQUATUS ; Collared Toucan. Tiiis bird is black above, 

 and beneath it is whitifli ; tlic belly is green, the hind part 

 is red, and the collar red. It inhabits the coalts of New 

 Spain, IS about eighteen inches long, and feeds on fifli. The 

 upper mandible is blackifh, and the lower black ; the irides 

 are of a reddifh-yellow ; the head and neck are black ; the 

 lower tail-coverts are red ; the thighs purple ; the legs are 

 of a greenilb-afti colour ; the claws are black. 



PisClvoRUS ; Brazil Toucan. This is blackifh, but 

 the abdominal band and vent are red ; the rump is white. 

 It inhabits South America, and is twenty-one inches long. 

 The bill is yellow, with a fcarlet fpot on the tip ; the lower 

 mandible is blue ; the cap, back, wings, tail, belly, and 

 thighs, are black ; the temples, chin, breaif, and rump, are 

 white. 



Ervtiirohynchos ; Red-beaked Toucan. Blackifh ; 



cheeks, chin, and throat, white ; upper tail-coverts fulphur, 



but the lower and crefcent on the b.reaft are red. This ig 



3 D 2 found 



