SOUTH AMERICA. 



119 



He is never seen in the interior till you reach Macoushia, Second 



Journey. 



where he is found in the neighbourhood of the river 



Tacatou. The other two species are very common. They 

 feed entirely on the fruits of the forest, and though of the 

 pie kind, never kill the young of other birds, or touch 

 carrion. The larger is called Bouradi by the Indians, 

 (which means nose,) the other, Scirou. They seem 

 partial to each other's company, and often resort to the 

 same feeding tree, and retire together to the same shady 

 noon-day retreat. They are very noisy in rainy weather 

 at all hours of the day, and in fair weather, at morn and 

 eve. The sound which the Bouradi makes, is like the 

 clear yelping of a puppy dog, and you fancy he says 

 " pia-po-o-co," and thus the South American Spaniards 

 call him Piapoco. 



All the Toucanets feed on the same trees on which the 

 Toucan feeds, and every species of this family of enor- 

 mous bill, lays its eggs in the hoUoAv trees. They are 

 social, but not gregarious. You may sometimes see eight 

 or ten in company, and from this you would suppose they 

 are gregarious ; but, upon a closer examination, you will 

 find it has only been a dinner party, which breaks up and 

 disperses towards roosting time. 



You will be at a loss to conjecture for what ends nature 

 has overloaded the head of this bird with such an enor- 

 mous bill. It cannot be for the offensive, as it has no 

 need to wage war with any of the tribes of animated 



