TOUCANS. 
169 
notwithstanding its bulky look^ being composed of very thin^ 
variously-sized^ thinly-partitioned cells and membranes. 
During the nesting season^ according to the observations 
of some travellers^ the toucans use their large beaks to get 
at the eggs, and even the young, of other birds ; and, not- 
withstanding Mr. Waterton^s record of their habits, Mr. 
Broderip found that a specimen in captivity, when live birds 
were offered to it, killed them, and seemed to have a canni- 
bal kind of enjoyment in eating them, tearing off the feathers, 
and then devouring the flesh piece by piece. 
In flying, the toucans proceed by jerks, and are described 
as being awkward when so engaged ; but sitting as we see 
them do in aviaries, with their brightly-coloured plumage 
and variegated beaks, or actively engaged in catching what 
may be thrown to them, they are far from clumsy. When 
sleeping, their tails are raised at a sharpish angle with their 
backs, which gives them, at such a period, anything but a 
graceful appearance. The two chief genera of the toucans 
are Ramphastos and Pteroglossus. In the latter the beak is 
not so thick as the head, and the tail-feathers are graduated. 
Prom this genus Mr. Gould has separated, under the name 
of Aidacofhynchus, some green-plumaged species which have 
a deep longitudinal furrow on the side of the beak. 
