TOUCAN (Brazilian toucano, probably nose bone, less plausibly explained as meaning feather, or of onomatopoetic origin). A bird of the family Rhamphastithe, related to the barbets, jaea mars, and puff-birds (qq.v.), and not very distantly to the woodpeckers, and containing about 50 known species, all natives of tropical America, and remarkable for the magni tude of the bill. They are divided into two groups, the true toucans (Rhamphastos) and the a racaris (Pteroglossus), of which the latter contains the greater number of species; the for mer has the larger bill, and the tail is shorter. There is a difference also in the prevalent colors, the aracaris generally exhibiting much green and yellow, while the true toucans have the ground color of the plumage usually black; the throat, breast, and rump often gayly adorned with white, yellow, and red. The colors, however, are not in general finely blended, but appear in strong contrast. The legs of toucans are short; the feet have two toes before and two behind. The form of the body is short and thick; the tail is compara tively short, rounded or even, and is turned up over the body when the bird is at roost. The enormous bill is at the base of the full width and depth of the head, and is in some species more than half the length of the body. It is arched
toward the tip, irregularly toothed along the mar gins of the mandibles, and extremely cellular and light, yet strong in structure. 'the tongue is very long, narrow, and singularly feathered on each side, and takes an important part in gath ering food. Toucans eat fruits with avidity, but they also seize and devour small birds, lizards, etc. They make a curious clattering noise with their great mandibles and also emit a harsh cry. They live chiefly in the depths of the South American forests, in small flocks. They lay two white glossy eggs in hollow's of trees, making little if any nest for them, are easily tamed, and in captivity readily eat rice, bread, potatoes, eggs, meat, and many other kinds of food, and make amusing pets. The colors of the bill are, in most of the species, very brilliant during life, but dis appear from stuffed specimens in museums. The largest species, as the toco of Argentina (Inia»z phastos toco), are about 24 inches in length, the bill in this species measuring inches, and the tail 10 inches. One of the most familiar spe cies is the Brazil ariel, in which the throat is yellow and the rump scarlet. See Plate of HORNBILLS AND TOUCANS.