204 The Animal-Lore of Shakspeare’s Time. 
Sir Thomas Browne records that in Norfolk are 
found— 
“picus martins , or woodspeck, many kinds. The green, the red, 
the leucomelanus, or neatly marked black and white, and the cinereus 
or dun-colored little bird, called a nuthack. They make holes in the 
trees without any consideration of the winds or quarters of heaven; but 
.as the rotteness thereof best affordeth convenience.” (Yol. iv. p. 319.) 
The Toucan, one of the most peculiar of the feathered 
^ race, an inhabitant of America, is described 
by John Lerius, a Frenchman, who liyed in 
Brazil about the year 1557. 
“ Among the rest of the American birds,” he writes,“ the first place 
shall be given to a certaine bird named toucan, whereof we made 
mention before. It is of the bignesse of a pigeon, of a blacke colour 
like a crow, except the brest, which is of a yellow colour, compassed 
from the lower part with a ring of red feathers, which being taken 
away, the Barbarians use it for ornament. And it is highly esteemed 
with them, because they use it when they intend to dance. From this 
it hath taken the name of toucan-tabourace, yet notwithstanding, they 
have such store of them they refuse not to exchange them for our 
merchandizes. The bill of this bird exceeds the whole body in length, 
wherewith a crane’s beak is not to be compared, and therefore it is to 
be accompted the most monstrous bill of the whole world.” ( Purchas> 
vol. iv. p. 1330.) 
Gouzalo Ferdinando de Oviedo mentions these birds, 
but under a different name:— 
“ There is another kind of bird in the Firme Land, which the 
Christians call picuti because they have very great beakes, in respect of 
the littlenesse of their bodies, for their beakes are very heavie, and 
weigh more than their bodies: their feathers are very faire, and of 
many variable colours. Their beakes are a quarter of a yard in length 
or more, and bending downe toward the earth, and three fingers broad 
neere unto the head. Their tongues are very quils, wherewith they 
make a great hissing.” {Purchas, vol. iii. p. 980.) 
The tongue of this bird differs from that of every 
other species in being feathered. 
