- ‘'The Hiftory 0/ A N I M A L S. 3 8 t 
The beak is the moft lingular part of the bird; there requires, indeed, a head of 
an extraordinary lize to fupport it: it is about feven inches long, and in the largeft 
part is three inches broad ; the under chap is much fmaller than the upper: the beak 
is nearly ftraight all the way, to near the extremity, but there it is fomewhat bent: 
it has the appearance of an intolerable burthen to the bird, and it would indeed be 
fuch, were it not provided by nature that all this lize Ihould have but little weight. 
Though of a firm and bony texture, it’s fubftance is as thin as a line parchment, and 
it is all the way hollow; the great cavity within, and the thinnefs of the bony lami¬ 
nae, letting the air through into that cavity, render noftrils unneceflary to this lin¬ 
gular bird : the apertures formed for noftrils, in the ufual way, would have weakened 
the tender fubftance of this enormous beak near it’s bafe, and might have made it lia¬ 
ble to break there, to the utter deftru&ion of the bird ; the air, however, finds a fuf- 
ficiently free pafiage into the cavity of the mouth, for the beak is denticulated all the 
way along at each fide, and by this means is rendered incapable of fhutting clofely * 
the colour of this furpriling beak is not uniform throughout; the upper chap is of a 
pale lemon colour, approaching to white j the under one is of a ftronger yellow, and 
the tip of both is of a high red : the whole infide of the beak is alfo red. 
The head, the back, and the wings of this bird are black, but there is a light call 
of whitilh diffufed over them, more vifible in fome lights than in others : the rump 
is of a very line high crimfon : the breaft is of an elegant and fplendid yellow, with an 
admixture of a fiery red : the belly is wholly red, and the feathers that cover the 
thighs are of the fame colour. 
The wings are long, and have very little variegations; and the tail is all the way 
black, except at the extremity, where it is of a bright and elegant red, 
\ 
The legs are robuft and fhort; the toes are long ; they ftand two forward, and two 
backward, and have long, fharp, and black claws. 
This lingular bird is a native of South America, and of fome parts of the Eaft 
Indies ; all the late writers on birds have defcribed it. Thevet has figured it, and 
moft who have followed him have copied his figure ; Aldrovand calls it Pica Brafilica ; 
Marcgrave, Tucana five Toucan Brafilienfibus; Nieremberg gives it it’s Mexican name 
Xochitenacatl ; we call it the Brafilian Magpy. We have fpecimens of it often 
brought over, by way of curiofity, dried; and, by fome very lingular accident, a 
fingle bird of this fpecies was fome years ago fhot by a country fportfman, on our own 
coafts. It feeds on the fruits of the Weft Indies, and is fo tame and familiar with 
the natives, that it will breed in their houfes. 
Ramphaftos urrhopigio luteo . ^ 
The Ramphaftos , with a yellow rump . 
All four of the fpecies of this lingular genus are fond of pepper, but this eats it the 
moft voracioully ; the name of Pepper-bird has been thence applied to them all, but it 
is more appropriated to this; and, where any diftin&ion is meant, this is the fpecies 
intended by it; it is of the bignefs of our jack-daws: the head is large and round; 
the eyes alfo are large ; their pupil is round and black, and their iris of a ftrong yel¬ 
low : the beak is fix inches, or more, in length, and is three in diameter at the bafe; 
it is fomewhat hooked at the end, but very little fo, and is denticulated along the 
lides, and covered with a kind of fcales that are eafily raifed by the finger : it is of a 
firm but very thin fubftance, the whole being only a hollow cafe, as it were, with 
a thin covering of a bony fubftance; it is of a yellowilh colour throughout, deepeft at 
the point, and paleft on the upper part of the upper chap : there are no noftrils vi¬ 
fible on it. 
The head, back, and wings are black, only at the rump there is a tranfverfe band, as 
it were, of yellow : the tail is moderately long, and is black, but with a fhade of pur- 
plifti and yellowifh. 
5 E The 
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