THE BEAK. 
31 
so that the bird can nse it as a sort of spoon, dipping it 
into the water, and thus scooping np small fishes, or other 
light floating particles, on which it feeds. How different in 
its form is the beak of this bird from those of the Swallow 
and Goat- sucker tribe, which, feeding on the wing, adopt a 
somewhat similar course in catching the various flying in- 
sects on which they live. In their case the beak is short, 
and so weak as to be almost soft, but of vast width, pro- 
portioned to the size of the body. This may be easily seen 
in the common House Swallow, but more particularly in the 
Swift, or large Black Swallow; and Goat- sucker, whose 
heads may be said to be almost all composed of mouth, so 
wide and gaping are their large short beaks ; consequently 
when the supply of insects is abundant, they have little 
more to do than fly with open mouth, and close their beaks 
upon the objects which cross their flight. This the 
Swallow does with a sharp clicking jerk, which maybe heard 
by an attentive listener on a calm day, at a considerable 
distance. 
In the Toucan, the beak forms a most prominent and 
unsightly feature, being quite a deformity in that other- 
wise beautiful and graceful bird and were it as heavy 
in proportion as the bills of other birds, it might prove 
a very serious weight, and materially impede its flight, 
if not quite weigh it down to the ground. It is, however, 
so remarkably light and hollow, as to be no inconvenience 
whatever, so that the bird can fly with such swiftness and 
certainty as to catch grapes and other fruit thrown to 
it before they fall to the ground. In its operation, too, it 
differs from those of other birds ; seizing and acting upon 
the substances within its grasp, by a lateral or side-way 
rather than up and down or perpendicular motion. But 
they do not always confine themselves to fruits, their beaks 
being equally calculated by their muscular strength for 
crushing the bones of small birds; and in their native 
forests they are seen perched on high trees, watching the 
* See p. 36. 
