The Arassari, as we learn from the Prince von Wied, inhabits the primitive forests of Brazil, and closely resembles the Toucan in its habits; during the period of incubation it lives in pairs, but at other seasons in small parties, which fly over the face of the country in search of the fruits upon which they mainly subsist. Their flight, which resembles that of the Toucan, is undulatory and very rapid. When perched on the summits of high trees, they constantly repeat the two short notes that form their cry, and whisk with the tail after the manner of the Common Jay. The nest is made in a hollow tree, and contains two eggs. Towards many birds of prey, especially Owls, the Arassaris exhibit much hostility, and frequently assemble to harry and annoy them as they sit droning away the bright hours of daylight. The flesh of this species is good food, and they become very fat during the winter. Burmeister, who affirms that the Arassaris do not confine themselves to a fruit diet, but freely eat insects and beetles, describes their appearance and movement among the trees as closely resembling those of a party of Parrots. Bates mentions that on one occasion, when descending a gully, having fired at one of these birds, as it sat apparently alone upon the bough of a lofty tree, he was much startled to find his victim's cry of pain answered by the simultaneous appearance of a large number of its terrified companions. In the twinkling of an eye every branch was occupied; and the birds, indignant at being thus roused from their repose, fluttered, shrieked, and flapped their wings like so many furies, in defiance of the unwelcome intruder. All attempts to capture any of the belligerents proved fruitless, for the cries of their dying associate had no sooner ceased than they retired as suddenly as they had appeared, and immediately ensconced themselves in some unseen but safe retreat within their leafy fastnesses.
The TOUCANS PROPER (Ramphastus) are at once recognisable by the extraordinary size of their curved beak, which is very thick at its base, compressed at its tip, and furnished with a sharp ridge at its culmen. The high, powerful legs are covered with large flat scales, the tarsi are short, and the toes long; the small, broad, rounded tail, is composed of feathers of equal length; the wings are short, and the fourth and fifth quills longer than the rest; a black gloss predominates in the coloration of the plumage, enlivened by red, white, or yellow patches on the throat, back, and wings. All the various species of these birds live in pairs, within the shade of the forest, only exceptionally congregating into small parties, and never venturing near the abodes of man.
THE TOCO TOUCAN.
The TOCO TOUCAN (Ramphastus toco) is principally of a glossy black; the throat, cheeks, lower throat, and upper tail-covers are white, and the rump light red. The large high beak is bright orange-red, shading to deep red at the culmen and towards the tip of the lower mandible; while the tip and edges of the upper portion of the bill are black, the eyes, cheek-stripes, and region of the temple bright red; the eyelids blackish blue, and the legs dark grey. The length of this bird is twenty-two inches; the wing measures eight inches and three-quarters, and the tail five inches and a quarter.
The Toco Toucan, as we learn from the Prince von Wied, is never found near the coast, but is plentiful in the interior of the province of Minas Geroes and Bahia. It is abundant in the southern parts of Brazil, in latitude thirty-two degrees south. Those observed in the neighbourhood of Bahia were very shy, the result of their having been repeatedly fired at by the inhabitants in defence of their fruit-trees, and to procure them for food; notwithstanding which, the desire to feed upon the oranges and guavas induced them to approach very near the town at the season when those fruits were ripening. Very pretty little powder-flasks are made of their large, finely-coloured bills. "M. Natterer," writes Gould, in his magnificent work on the Ramphastidæ, "who first met with this bird in the province of St. Paul, and afterwards on the coast of Goyay and Mattogrosso, on the banks of the Amazon and Upper Rio Branco", remarks that "it will probably be found on all parts of Brazil, and believes that the bird prefers woods adjoining sandy plains, for he more than once met with it in low steppes and coppices, where ripe fruits were to be found. We generally met with it in small families, and observed that the bill varied in length according to the age and sex of the bird; and that its note, resembling 'gr-r-ra,' was deeper than that of any other member of the family." Mr. Edwards tells us that he saw the nest of this species in the fork of a large tree over the water of the Amazon, but we are of opinion that the nidification of this bird should be described by other observers before full reliance be placed on the assertion that it makes a nest, for the hollows of trees are the usual incubating places of all the Toucans.
THE KIRIMA, OR RED-BILLED TOUCAN.
The KIRIMA, or RED-BILLED TOUCAN (Ramphastus crythrorhynchus)—see Coloured Plate [XXVI].—a very similar, but more slenderly-built species, is a beautiful bird inhabiting North America. It has a scarlet beak, with yellow base and culmen, a broad red band on the white throat, and a yellow rump.
In its general habits and manners the Red-billed Toucan resembles the rest of its congeners, leaping lightly from branch to branch among the topmost foliage of the lofty trees of its native forests. Mr. Waterton states that the native name is Bouradi, signifying "nose;" that it frequents the mangrove-trees on the sea-coast, and is never seen in the interior till you reach Mackonochia, where it is found in the neighbourhood of the river Tucuton. It feeds entirely on the fruits of the forest, and never kills the young of other birds or devours carrion. The sound the Bouraki makes is like the clear yelping of a puppy-dog; you might fancy it said "pia-po-o-co." Thus the Spaniards calls this species Piapoco. It lays its eggs in the hollows of trees. Although Mr. Waterton states that the Red-billed Toucan lives entirely on fruits in its native wilds, it exhibits the utmost partiality to animal food when in a state of captivity, as shown by W. J. Broderip, Esq., in an account given by him of a specimen he examined at a bird-dealer's in St. Martin's Lane. "After looking at the bird, which was apparently in the highest state of health," says that gentleman, "I asked the proprietor to bring up a small bird, that I might see how the Toucan would be affected by its appearance. The dealer soon returned, bringing with him a last year's Goldfinch. The instant he introduced his hand, holding the Goldfinch, into the cage of the Toucan, the latter, which was on a perch, snatched it with his bill. The poor little bird had only time to utter a short weak cry, for within a second it was dead, killed by compression on the sternum and abdomen, and that so powerful that the bowels protruded after a very few squeezes with the Toucan's bill. As soon as the Goldfinch was dead the Toucan hopped with it in his bill to another perch, and placing it between his right foot and the perch, began to strip off the feathers with his beak. When he had plucked away most of them, he broke the bones of the wings and legs with his bill, taking the wings therein, and giving at the same time a strong lateral wrench. He continued this work with great dexterity till he had almost reduced the bird to a shapeless mass; and ever and anon he would take his prey from the perch in his bill, and hop from perch to perch, making, at the same time, a peculiar hollow, chattering noise, at which times I observed that his wings and bill were affected with a vibratory or shivering motion, though the former were not expanded. He then returned the bird to the perch, and having set his foot on it, ate first the viscera, and then continued pulling off and swallowing piece after piece, till the head, neck, and part of the back and sternum, with their soft parts, were alone left; these, after a little more wrenching, he at last swallowed, not even leaving the wings or legs. It was clear to me that he felt great enjoyment, for whenever he seized his prey from the perch he appeared to exult, now masticating the morsel with his toothed bill, and applying his tongue to it, now attempting to gorge it, and now making the peculiar chattering noise, accompanied by the shivering motion above mentioned. The whole operation lasted about a quarter of an hour. He then cleaned his beak, by rubbing it against the bars of his cage. I have more than once seen this bird return the food from his crop, sometimes twice after he had taken it, and after masticating the morsel awhile in his bill, again swallow it, the whole operation, particularly the return of the food to the bill, bearing a strong resemblance to the analogous action in ruminating animals. His food consisted of bread, boiled vegetables, eggs, and flesh; to which a little bird is added every second and third day. He shows a decided preference for animal food, picking out all morsels of that description, and only resorting to vegetable diet when all the other is exhausted.
"There is yet another peculiarity of this bird," continues Mr. Broderip, "that cannot be passed over in silence. When he settles himself to roost, he sits a short time with his tail retroverted, so as to make an acute angle with the line of his back; he then turns his bill over his right shoulder, nestling it in the soft feathers of the back (on which last the under mandible rests), till the bill is so entirely covered that no trace of it is visible. When disturbed, he does not drop his tail, but almost immediately returns his bill to the comfortable nidus from which he had withdrawn it. At these times the bird has the appearance of a ball of feathers."