THE CREEPER, THE TOUCAN. 
07 
About fifty species, foreign and domestic, have been enu- 
merated of this bird. The colour of this bird is in general 
olive green. It inhabits the Sandwich islands, and is one of 
the birds whose plumage the natives make use of for then- 
feathered garments. 
In this order is included a numerous list from all the tiopi- 
cal forests of the east and west ; that, however, which seems 
next to challenge our attention is the Toucan, a bmt of the 
pie kind, whose bill is nearly as large as the rest of its 
whole body ; and the tongue of which is feathered at the 
edges. 
Of this extraordinary bird there are about fifteen 
species. We shall only describe the red-beaked toucan. 
It is about the size of and shaped like a jack-daw, with a 
large head to support its monstrous bill ; this bill, lioin 
the angles of the mouth to its point, is six inches and a 
half; and its breadth in the thickest part is a little more 
than two. Its thickness near the head is one inch and 
a quarter; and it is a little rounded along the upper 
chap, the under side being rounded also ; the whole ot 
the bill is extremely slight, and a little thicker than parch- 
ment. The upper chap is of a bright yellow, except 
on each side, which is of a fine scarlet colour; as is also 
the lower chap, except at the base, which is purple. 
Between the head and the bill there is a black line ol 
separation all round the base of the bill ; in the upper 
part of which the nostrils are placed, and arc almost 
covered with feathers, which has occasioned some writers 
to say, that the toucan has no nostrils. Hound the eyes, 
on each side of the head, is a space of bluish skin, void 
of feathers, above which the bead is black, except a w n e 
spot on each side joining to the base of t ie upper 
chap. The hinder part of the neck, the back, wings, 
tail, belly, and ihigl's, are black. The under side ol 
the head', throat, and the beginning ot the breast, aie 
white. Between the white on the breast, and the black 
«n the belly, is a space of red feathers, in the form of a 
new moon, with its horns upwards. The legs, feet, 
and claws are of an ash-colour ; and the toes stand 
exactly like those of parrots, two before and two 
behind. _ . r 
It is reported by travellers, that this bird, thong i u* 
nished with so formidable a beak, is harmless and gentle, 
being so easily made tame, as to sit and batch its young in 
houses. It feeds chiefly upon pepper, which it devours veiy 
greedily, gorging itself in such a manner, that it voids it ctudo 
