AFRICA. 373 
n€ts of the fcientlfic, I muft continually repeat 
that large volumes piled up in libraries are no- 
thing to the book of nature ; and that an error, 
though fupported by an hundred eloquent 
pens, is neverthelefs ftlll an error. 
This bird is no more a cuckoo than pies, 
barbets, perroquets, toucans, and all thofe fpe- 
cles which have two toes before and two be- 
hind. If it is to be ranked in any knowu 
cUfs, it would belong rather to that of the 
barbets, becaufe it has more affinity to thefe. 
In its ftomach I found nothing but honey 
and wax : I did not pbferve the fmalleft por- 
tion of any infe£t.- Its fkln Is thick, and fo 
tough, that when it is frefli it can fcarcely be 
penetrated by a pin. This to me is an inftance ♦ 
of the wonderful precaution of nature, which 
having deftlned it to contend for its fub- 
fiftence with the mott ingenious of all infers, ' 
gave it a covering ftrong enough to defend it 
from their flings. 
It builds its neft in hollow trees, climbs up 
to it in the fame manner as the wood-pecker, 
and hatches its eggs itfelf. This circumftance 
is fufficient to feparate it totally from the 
cuckoo, and to make it a new genus, 
Jn my ornithology will be giyen accurate 
B b 3 figures 
