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."