46o 



ANIMALS OF EGA 



gave up the story as a piece of humbug. The simplest 

 explanation appears to be this ; that the birds associate 

 in flocks from the instinct of self-preservation, and in 

 order to be a less easy prey to hawks, snakes, and other 

 enemies than they would be if feeding alone. 



Toucans. — Cuvier's Toucan. — Of this family of birds, 

 so conspicuous from the great size and light structure of 

 their beaks, and so characteristic of Tropical American 

 forests, five species ^ inhabit the woods of Ega. The 

 largest of all the Toucans found on the Amazons, namely, 

 the Ramphastos toco, called by the natives Tocano 

 pacova, from its beak resembling in size and shape a 

 banana or pacova, appears not to reach so far up the 

 river as Ega. It is abundant near Para, and is found 

 also on the low islands of the Rio Negro, near Barra, but 

 does not seem to range much farther to the west. The 

 commonest species at Ega is Cuvier's Toucan, a large 

 bird, distinguished from its nearest relatives by the 

 feathers at the bottom of the back being of a saffron hue 

 instead of red. It is found more or less numerously 

 throughout the year, as it breeds in the neighbourhood, 

 laying its eggs in holes of trees, at a great height from 

 the ground. During most months of the year, it is met 

 with in single individuals or small flocks, and the birds 

 are then very wary. Sometimes one of these little bands 

 of four or five is seen perched, for hours together, amongst 

 the topmost branches of high trees, giving vent to their 

 remarkably loud, shrill, yelping cries, one bird, mounted 

 higher than the rest, acting, apparently, as leader of the 

 inharmonious chorus ; but two of them are often heard 

 yelping alternately, and in different notes. These cries 

 have a vague resemblance to the syllables Tocano, Tocano, 

 and hence the Indian name of this genus of birds. At 

 these times it is diflicult to get a shot at Toucans, for 

 their senses are so sharpened that they descry the hunter 

 before he gets near the tree on which they are perched, 

 although he may be half-concealed amongst the under- 

 wood, 1 50 feet below them. They stretch their necks 

 downwards to look beneath, and on espying the least 



^ Ramphastos Cuvieri, Pteroglossus Beauharnaisii, Pt. 

 Langsdorfii, Pt. castanotis, Pt. flavirostris. Further westward, 

 namely, near St. Paulo, a sixth species makes its appearance, 

 the Pteroglossus Humboldtii. 



