ACROSS UNKNOWN SOUTH AMERICA 
of that tree warmed in water over a fire. Another de¬ 
coction we frequently used was of salt and carrapicho 
herb, but this was not quite so effective as the former. 
My men killed a magnificent tucano , a large bird with 
climbing, inquisitive habits. It possessed an enormous 
yellow bill of singularly light structure, the point of which 
was black. The lower part of the bill was of a brilliant 
red, and of a similar red was the rib of the upper part 
of the bill. The plumage was of a handsome velvety black 
on the body and tail, which was quite shiny, while the 
chest was of a pure white, and the under part of the tail 
of bright vermilion feathers. White feathers showed at 
the base of the tail above. 
The tucano (Eamphastos) is too well known for me 
to describe it fully again. It is found all over tropical 
Brazil. There are many different varieties, such as 
the Eamphastos vitellinus, Eamphastos ariel, the Eam¬ 
phastos Cuvieri, the Pteroglossus B eauharnaisii, or curl- 
crested tucano, etc., extremely common, especially farther 
north, near the borders of the Amazon. 
I was sorry when my men killed this beautiful bird. 
I had watched it for some time, as it hopped from branch 
to branch, dipping its bill into cavities and examining 
everything that happened below by bending its head 
attentively, now on one side then on the other, in ac¬ 
cordance with its inquisitive habits. It evidently took 
intelligent interest in our doings. My men had gone out 
to do their cooking. The bird watched them with the 
greatest attention — with jerky movements not unlike 
those of a magpie. 
The tucanos have, I believe, been described as stupid; 
but on the contrary I think they are extremely clever, 
quite as clever as many parrots or macaws. I observed 
how shrewd that particular bird was. It would come 
quite close to us, and examine with really amazing atten¬ 
tion what we were doing as long as we were not taking 
any notice of it, but the moment a man happened to touch 
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