RAMPHASTOS, Lin. &c. TOUCAN.
Bill enormously large, light, cellular within, convex, ser rated outwardly, and slightly curved at the tip ; nostrils behind the base of the hill ; orbits naked ; tongue long, narrow, and feather-shaptd.
The toucans are chiefly indigenous to the warmer re gions of South America. Like the hornbills, they are dis tinguished by the huge size of their beaks, which, in some species, is nearly equal to that of the whole body. It is composed, however, of a light cellular substance, and so soft as to be compressible between the fingers. The tongue is of a highly singular form, being of a somewhat horny or cartilaginous nature, and divided on each side into innumerable short and close-set fibres; in consequence of which structure it is described, by some of the old na turalists, as a real feather, supplying the place of a tongue. They feed on fruit, especially that of the palm-trees, and sometimes on insects and buds of trees ; but they also de stroy a great many small birds, attacking them with their overgrown bills, expelling them from their nests, and even in their presence devouring their eggs and their young. If a nest be constructed of clay, they refrain from attack ing it until it is softened by rain, when they demolish it by repeated blows. From this propensity to seize small birds and their eggs, Azara has classed them with birds of prey, although their general structure and habits are very dif ferent. They swallow their food entire, -previously toss ing it in the air. They are generally met with in small flocks of eight or ten, moving from place to place in quest of food, and advancing northward or southward in propor tion as the fruits ripen, though they arc not properly mi gratory, and are very impatient of cold. Sonnini com pares their flight to that of the magpie. They easily mount to the top of the highest trees, on which they de light to perch. They are vigilant, and jealous of what is passing around them, and rarely alight on the ground, but when they do, they are observed to hop obliquely and with their legs astride. They make their nests in the hollows of trees, abandoned by woodpeckers, the structure of their bill not allowing of the efforts necessary to make, or even to enlarge a hole in the most tender timber. They are
supposed to lay two eggs, and to breed more than once a-year ; but so wary are they in concealing their breeding haunts, that no traveller has beon enabled to mention the size or colour of the eggs, and that Azara and Sonnini, both zealous ornithologists, and who resided for years in South America, were never fortunate enough to see one of them. If caught when young, they are easily tamed, and become very familiar. Their flesh is tough, but eatable. 'We shall particularize only one of the species.
R. picatus, Lath. Red bellied, or Preacher Toucan, or Brazilian Pie. Upper parts of the body glossy black, with a tinge of green, breast fine orange, belly, sides, thighs, and the short tail feathers, bright red, remainder of the tail black, tipt with red. Nearly twenty inches in length. Native of Guiana and Brazil. The red-bellied toucan feeds chiefly on fruits, but when tamed will eat al most any thing that is offered to it. who had one perfectly domesticated, informs us, that it leaped up and down, wagged its tail, and cried with a voice like that of a magpie. It fed on the same things as parrots, but was most covetous of grapes, which, when plucked off, and thrown to it one by one, it would with great dexterity catch in the air, before it fell to the ground. As this spe cies is easily tamed, it is in great request in South Ame rica, both for the delicacy of its flesh and the beauty of its plumage, particularly of the feathers on the breast. The Indians pluck off the skin from this part, and glue it, when dry, to their cheeks, as, in their estimation, an irre sistible addition to their beauty. In several districts of South America those birds are denominated preachers, from the habit of one of their flock perching on the top of a tree, above its fellows, when they are asleep, and making a continued noise, resembling ill-articulated sounds, moving its head to the right and left, in order, it is supposed, to deter birds of prey from approaching to the spot.