neral diet is fruit, they also devour small birds and
their eggs, as well, probably, as caterpillars, and the larvae of
insects in general. Mr Broderip describes the curious way in which he
saw a toucan seize a small bird, pluck off the feathers, and having
broken the bones of the wings and legs with his beak, continue working
away till he had reduced it to a shapeless mass. He then hopped from
perch to perch, uttering a peculiar hollow, chattering noise, and began
pulling off piece after piece, till he had swallowed the whole, not even
leaving the beak and logs. In a quarter of an hour he had finished,
when he cleansed his bill from the feathers. After a time he returned
his food into his crop, and after masticating the morsel for a while in
his bill, again swallowed it.

The bird mentioned was in captivity; and though his food consisted of
bread, boiled vegetables, and eggs, he showed a decided preference for
animal food when given to him.

The toucan (Ramphastos) belongs to the genus of scansorial birds. There
are several species, five of which inhabit the forests of the Upper
Amazon. The largest of that region is Cuvier's toucan, and is
distinguished from its nearest relatives by the feathers at the bottom
of the back being of a saffron hue instead of red. It lays its eggs in
hollows of trees, at a great height from the ground, and moults between
March and June.

Solitary toucans are sometimes met with, hopping silently up and down
the larger boughs, and peering into the crevices of tree trunks. When
the gapo is flooded, they fly to the drier ground, assembling in large
flocks, when they are easily shot by the hunters. The birds are then
very fat, and their flesh sweet and tender.

In some species the bill is nearly as large and as long as the body
itself. It is light, cellular, and irregularly notched at the edge,
having both mandibles arched towards the tip. The tongue is also of a
singular form, being narrow and elongated, and literally barbed like a
feather. The feet are short--formed, like those of parrots, rather for
grasping than for climbing; the tail long, and the wings moderate. It
has a straight but laborious flight, and seems awkward, except on the
boughs, when it moves lightly and actively from branch to branch. When
eating, it throws up its head, apparently to allow the food to fall down
its throat with greater ease. When the toucan is at roost, it turns its
long tail directly over i