Tol'Cans. BIRDS. PsiTTACiD.®. 373 
certain air of gravity, but this is vastly increased 
the attitude assumed by them in repose. When they 
perch quietly, they puff out their plumage until they 
look almost like a round ball of feathers ; at the same 
time, the tail is thrown up over the back, the head is 
drawn back, and the enormous bill laid sometimes to 
one side, sometimes to the other, or moved from side 
to side, and raised and depressed in a manner resem- 
bling so much the gesticulations of an orator addressing 
a numerous assembly, says Lomenie, that, coupled with 
the serious aspect of the birds, it has obtained for them, 
from the French creoles in Guiana, the name of Oiseavx 
pre'cheurs, or “ preaching birds.” They breed in the 
holes of trees, usually taking possession of such as have 
been occupied and enlarged by the woodpeckers. Here 
they la}' two eggs of a white colour and roundish form. 
THE RED-BREASTED TOUCAN {Rhamphastos dico- 
lorus ) — Plate 16, fig. 55 — whichmeasuresabouteighteen 
inches in length, has the bill dark olive- green, with a 
yellowish-white band at the base ; the plumage of the 
back, tail, and wings, black ; the throat, and upper part 
of the breast, orange-yellow, bordered beneath with 
}'ellow ; the lower part of the breast and the rump red ; 
and the belly and legs black. This is a common 
species in Brazil and Guiana. 
THE COLLARED TOUCAN {RhnmpJia.ffos torqiiatus) 
is of the same size as the preceding species, and like 
it has the plumage of the upper surface black ; but the 
neck is surrounded by a red collar. The front of the 
neck is nearly white, spotted and streaked with red 
and black, the belly is green, and the vent and lower 
tail-coverts red. The bill in this species has the upper 
mandible yellowish-white, and the lower one black. 
This bird is an inhabitant of Mexico, where it is said 
to frequent the vicinity of the coast, and to feed to a 
great extent upon fish. 
THE RED-BILLED TOUCAN {Rhamphastos erythro- 
rhynchun), a large species, measuring upwards of 
twenty inches in length, is distinguished from the pre- 
ceding by having the lower mandible and the lower 
part of the upper one red, the base of both and the 
top of the upper mandible being yellow, with a black 
band separating the yellow parts from the red. The 
general colour of the plumage is black ; the throat is 
white, bordered with red at the bottom ; the upper 
tail-coverts are yellow, and the lower ones red. 
This species is a common bird in Guiana and Brazil. 
Along the course of the Amazon, according to Mr. 
Edwards, it and the Akiel Toucan [R. Ariel), a 
species nearly allied to the one figured in our plate, 
are the most abundant forms of this firmily, occurring 
in vast numbers throughout the forests in the autumn. 
When they alight, and begin climbing about the trees 
in search of fruits, one of them acts the part of a sen- 
tinel, continually uttering a loud cry of tuedno, from 
which their name is derived. When the whole flock 
raise their loud and not over-melodious voices in con- 
cert, they produce a harsh scream, which may be 
heard at the distance of a mile. Mr. Edwards tells us 
that these birds, when tamed, may be, taught as many 
tricks as a parrot, but they are destitute of the faculty 
of speech. 
THE TOCO TOUCAN {Rhamphastos Toco), which is 
spread over Guiana, Brazil, and Paraguay, is a smaller 
species than any of the preceding, measuring only nine 
or ten inches in length. The bill of this bird, which 
is quite as large in proportion as that of any of its 
allies, is black at the base, and reddish-yellow for the 
rest of its surface, except the apex of the upper mandi- 
ble, which is black ; the plumage is as usual black, 
with* the throat while, margined with red ; the upper 
tail-covei'ts white, and the lower ones red. 
THE ARACARI {Pteroylossus aracori) — Plate 16, 
fig. 56. — The Aracaris, forming the genus Pteroglossus, 
closely resemble the Toucans in their characters, but 
have a rather more solid bill, of which the upper 
mandible forms a rounded arch, without the distinct 
ridge, marked by a channel on each side, which is 
characteristic of the true Toucans. They also have 
a longer tail, of which the feathers are graduated. 
The present species is nearly seventeen inches in 
length. Its coloTir above is dull green, with the head 
and throat black, and the rump scarlet ; the brea.st is 
scarlet, w'ith a broad black band ; the flanks yellow, 
the belly and legs green, and the lower tail-coverts 
pale yellow. It is a native of Brazil and Guiana. 
THE KOULIK ARACARI {Pteroglossus piperivorus), 
a well-known species in Cayenne, where it has received 
the name of Koulik from its peculiar cry, is about the 
same size as the preceding species. It has the head, 
neck, breast, and middle of the belly black, with a 
steel-blue gloss ; the head has a yellow spot on each 
side, and the back of the neck an orange crescent; the 
back is olive green, the tail green above and brown 
beneath, and the lower tail-coverts crimson. 
THE GREEN ARACARI {Pteroglossus ririd is). — This 
is a small species, oidy measuring fourteen inches in 
length, including the bill. It is of an olive-green 
colour above, and sulphur-yellow beneath, with the 
head and throat black, and the rump bright red ; the 
bill, which is upwards of three inches long, has the 
top of the upper mandible yellow, and the sides red, 
the two colours being separated by a black line ; the 
lower mandible is black, and the serrated edges of 
both mandibles are white. It inhabits Guiana. 
Family II.— PSITTACID^. 
This family includes the numerous species of Par- 
rots, which, as already stated, may be regarded not only 
as the most typical members of the order Scansores, 
but perhaps as entitled to rank as its sole representa- 
tives. These birds are, in fact, the only ones furnished 
with truly prehensile feet, which stand them instead 
of hands ; with these the Parrots are not only able to 
grasp any object with great firmness, but actually in 
feeding often make use of them in pljce of hands to 
convey their food to the mouth. From this hand-like 
use of the feet, the arboreal and scansorial habits of 
the birds, and their general intelligence, which is 
perhaps greater than that of any members of their 
class, we may with some justice regard the Parrots as 
the analogues of the Qiiadrumanous mammals, and as 
occupying a correspondingly high position in the 
classification of birds. 
