hend that/ in this particular both the cele¬ 
brated men have been misinformed, for [ 
have every reason to believe that, in u state 
of nature, fruit is the principal food—the 
larger species feeding upon bananas and other 
succulent kinds, while the Araearis and 
Toucancts mainly subsist unon the smaller 
plentiful i n the province of Minas Geraea. and 
Bahia. It is also abundant iu the southern 
part of Brazil. Those observed in the vicinity 
ot Bahia were very shy, the result of them 
having been repeatedly fired at by the inliah- 
lvants, in defense of their fruit trees, as well 
as for the purpose of procuring them for the 
table. Notwithstanding this, however, the 
to feod upon tho oranges and guavas 
induces them to approach very uoar the 
town at the season when these fruits are 
ripening. Very pretty little powder-flasks 
are occasionally made of their large and 
finely-colored bills,’’ 
THE TOUCANS, 
[See page 345 for JUustmtlonJ 
I in, I oilcans (a word derived from their 
Brazilian name Turn, Tuca, Tucana or 
Tacataca ) were formed by Linna-us into a 
single genus, to which he applied the title of 
hamphastos, in allusion to the great volume 
of (lie beak ( Ramphos). They now consti¬ 
tute a family (Jlamphasttida?) comprehending 
several 'sections <- 
distinguishing characters. All 
have certain peculiark' ' 
at once distinguish them from 
group. In some respect 
Edwards, in his voyage up the Amazon, 
observes that when a party of Toucans alight 
on a tree, one usually acts the part of a 
sentinel, uttering the loud cry of Tucano 
whence they derive their name ; the others 
disperse over the branches in seueh of fruit 
While, feeding they keep up a hom-se chatter¬ 
ing. and at Intervals unite with the noisy 
sentry, and scream a concert that may be 
heard a mile. Having appeased their appe- 
tite* they seek (lie depths of a forest, and 
there quietly doze away the noon. Often in 
the. very early morning a few of them may 
be seen sitting quietly upon the branches of 
some dead tree, apparently awaiting the 
coming sunlight before starting for their 
feeding-trees. Tile nests (ho adds) of the 
or genera, each having its 
, however. 
Hies in common, which 
..i every other 
>s, indeed, they resern- 
ble the Horn bills—for example, in the devel- 
o^nent of the beak, and its growth from 
youth to mature ago ; in scantiness of plu¬ 
mage, and impatience of cold; as well as in 
general habits and actions ; and even in the 
portion assumed when roosting, both sitting 
with the tail turned over the back. Hence, 
the Toucans may be said to represent, in 
America the Horn bills in India and Africa, 
r ’ ,ir 'J A ;? Vc \ r ' the structure of the 
in.’.imnV ° f th " : l, , v r having the normal 
situation, bulge as is the beak of the Tou- 
cans compared with the size of the hodv it 
is m reality very light. Its outer sheathing 
j- somewhat elastic, very thin, smooth, «nd 
semi-transparent; and the interior consists 
m r ells - throughout which 
the romihcations of t he olfactory nerves nro 
multitudiuoualy distributed. The nostrils are 
I » ot each mandible arc ser 
rated, and the coloring- of the. whole beak is 
,,r 'h. and often relieved by contrasted 
oi.-i rkings. But these tints begin to fade 
a.t. r death, and become ultimately dissi¬ 
pated. In young turds the bill is much small 
ei than in adults but Jittlo or no difference j s 
manifested in t he colors of the plumage 
I CC eyes are surrounded by a considerable 
••• 11 naked skin, often very richly tinted 
iw tongue is very long, slender, horizontally 
tl'aliened, pointed, and, except, at Its base 
horny; 11 is 1 ringed or feathered along each 
' \ ^6 are strong and zygodactvle 4 
liar, is, two toes are placed before and two 
behind, With a broad palm or sole at their 
junction 1 1 ns mode of structure well adapts 
r^ VfrL? r n Jpm?£irml3r ’ ' ,utno,; for <’hmb- 
mg, after the manner of the srygodactvle 
woodpeckers.. The wings are short, conoaVe^ 
FIRE - PROOF SMOKE - HOUSE. 
We have frequent inquiries for plans of 
smoke-houses, and have given some in the 
Rural New-Yorker. We copy tlie accom¬ 
panying article and illustrations from the 
Country Gentleman : 
During a visit at the residence of Hon. 
George Gedoes of Syracuse, we made the 
accompanying sketch of the building which 
lie had erected for a smoke-house and store¬ 
room. Mr. Geodes, eminently practical as 
he is, had observed that a portion of his lawn, 
towards the outbuildings, was not- worn by 
trees, it may be so in many cases, and with 
some species, but the only one which we ever 
saw, and which was of the Toco-Touciin, was 
in the fork of a large tree overhanging the 
water upon tlie Amazon. 
The mode, in which the Toucans roost is not 
a little curious. The perch being taken, tliev 
puff out their plumage, retro vert the (nil 
over the back, draw the. head between the 
shoulders, close the eyes, and remain in a 
state between sleeping and waking for a 
considerable period, sometimes nearly two 
hours, if roused while In this condition; 
they open their eyes, move a little, trad soon 
relapse again. To this stage, of somnolency 
succeeds that of true sleep ; the bill now 
begins to turn gradually over the right shoul¬ 
der, and becomes at last, buried completely 
within the plumage of t he back ; at the same 
time the pinions of tlio wings droop, and 
with the coverts of the thighs entirely conceal 
the feel,. The bird now presents t he appear¬ 
ance of an oval ball of pulled-up feathers, 
and is well protected against the. cold, 
TV ith respect, to the omnivorous appetite of 
nt- least, some Rpeeies of Toucans, we have 
abundance of evidence. They w©ro seen by 
Mr, Such often engaged in quarrels with the 
monkeys, a nest of eggs being, it is presumed, 
the object of the contention. Their coroiv- 
PRESERVING THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
To make this paper available for future 
FIRE—proof smoke-house. 
feet, and he accordingly selected this spare 
ground for the intended building. The store¬ 
room, which faces the house, and is situated 
on the right end of the building, as repre¬ 
sented in tho accompanying view, being en¬ 
cased in stone walls, and closed with dark 
shutters when desired, answers a useful pur¬ 
pose for keeping fruit, fresh meat, and pro¬ 
visions generally. Tho left hand half of the 
building is occupied with tho smoke-house. 
Tlie section below shows tho position of the 
dilferent parte. The ash-pit, surrounded bv 
SCIENTIFIC AND USEFUL NOT"S, 
Self-Acting Portable Fountain .—iu Rrr- 
ral New-Yorker, of January 27th, 1872/we 
saw an engraving of a Self-Acting Portable 
fountain. We took the dimensions and man¬ 
ufactured two, which we have had in opera¬ 
tion for more than a year, and they have 
given 11 s a great deal of amusement and have 
been a great attraction to visitors. We would 
not part with them, as they are very orna¬ 
mental and operate up to nature. Wo. have 
mode several for other parties. They are 
made 2 feet 8 inches high and 12).; inch¬ 
es wide, with side and top walls of gal¬ 
vanized iron. They will last for years.— Geo. 
W. Mull, Dauphin Co ., Pa. 
Pipe, for Water.—In answer to D. B E 
relative to pipe for water:—I have hail con¬ 
siderable experience in bringing water in 
lead pipe- It can be brought in any sized 
pipe, all of one size; 1 have brought' it one 
halt mfie. in half-inch pipe and experienced 
no difficulty in starting the water ; ho. need 
have no fears. Can you or any of your 
readers tell rue, through the Rural New- 
\ orker, how to get rid of wild onions or the 
taste of them in milk ? — k. w. s. 
n>’Ht Duenfeetant. - Herr Eckstein 
of \ iennn, in an analysis of the comparative 
value of different, disenfeetants, concludes 
that chloride of lime is the chea pest and best, 
and advises that the substance be inclosed in 
a parchment bag. so that its effects nxSy be 
slowly diffused through the polluted atmos¬ 
phere. 
Self-Filtering Citterns.—T. C. Chittenden 
will find in the Rural New-Yorker, Sept. 9, 
1871, a cistern built with a self-filtering ap¬ 
paratus. If he has not got the number v<a 
can supply it. 
SMOIIC ROOM 
STORE ROOM 
A large number of hams may be placed in 
this room by the following arrangement: 
Pieces of hard-wood plank, eight inches wide 
and long enough to reach across the room, 
rest on a ledge or projection from the walls 
on each side. These pieces of plank have 
hooks driven iu on both edges far enough 
apart to receive the hams, so that a row may 
be hung on each side. When full, it is pushed 
along to one side and another filled, and so 
on till all are in their places. The ventilators 
above are then opened, and smoke is started 
on the heap of ashes below. For this purpose 
cobs are used, or unseasoned maple, or body 
hickory. The smoking should be slow. By 
the time the smoke has passed up through 
the openings in the arch, it has become cold, 
and cannot heat the hams, Ten or twelve 
days will usually be enough for the comple¬ 
tion of the operation, when the ventilators at 
