102 



WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 



this huge disj^roportioned feature, and the head seems 

 as if bowed down to the earth by it against its will. 

 If the extraordinary form and size of the bill expose 

 the toucan to ridicule, its colours make it amends. 



Were a specimen of each species of the 

 tiifbiii^^^ toucan presented to you, you would pro- 

 nounce the bill of the bouradi the most rich 

 and beautiful ; on the ridge of the u^^per mandible a 

 broad stripe of most lovely yellow extends from the 

 head to the point j a stripe of the same breadth, though 

 somewhat deeper yellow, falls from it at right angles 

 next the head down to the edge of the mandible ; then 

 follows a black stripe, half as broad, falling at right 

 angles from the ridge, and running narrower along the 

 edge to within half an inch of the point. The rest of 

 the mandible is a deep bright red. The lower mandible 

 has no yellow ; its black and red are distributed in the 

 same manner as on the upper one, with this difference, 

 that there is black about an inch from the point. The 

 stripe corresponding to the deep yellow stripe on the 

 upper mandible is sky blue. It is worthy of remark 

 that all these brilliant colours of the bill are to be 

 found in the plumage of the body, and the bare skin 

 round the eye. 



All these colours, except the blue, are inherent in 

 the horn ; that part which appears bine is in reality 

 transparent white, and receives its colour from a thin 

 piece of blue skin inside. This superb bill fades in 

 death, and in three or four days' time, has quite lost its 

 original colours. 



Till within these few years, no idea of the true colours 

 of the bill could be formed from the stuffed toucans 

 brought to Europe. About eight years ago, while eating 



