The Natural History of Cage Birds: Their Management, Habits, Food, Diseases, Treatment, Breeding, and the Methods of Catching Them.Bechstein, Johann Matthäus
Science
The Natural History of Cage Birds: Their Management, Habits, Food, Diseases, Treatment, Breeding, and the Methods of Catching Them.
Bechstein, Johann Matthäus
Cage birds
The length of this species is fifteen inches, of which the tail measures
five; the beak one inch, the sides of the upper mandible and base of the
lower are red, the rest of the beak is raven grey; the iris golden
yellow; the feet greyish flesh colour, and claws black. The top of the
head is golden yellow, the forehead yellowish green; the colour of the
body is green, dark above, and more yellow under; the tail is but
slightly wedge-shaped; but Linnæus considered it sufficiently so to
class it among the long wedge-shaped tails.
OBSERVATIONS.--This bird is very mild, and sometimes chatters and
utters a few dull sounds, but at other times it speaks but little.
Its native country is South America: it is treated like the
preceding.
THE YELLOW-BREASTED TUCAN.
Ramphastos Tucanus, LINNÆUS; Toucan à gorge jaune du Brésil,
BUFFON; Der Tukan oder Pfeffervogel, BECHSTEIN.
Tucans are distinguished by the great size of their beak, which is
convex above, hooked towards the point, hollow, light, and toothed on
the edges like a saw. The feet have two claws before and two behind. In
summer these birds are brought from South America to England and
Holland, whence they are taken to Germany, though not often. They eat
fruit, berries, grapes, bread, meat, and in general any of our food. In
order to swallow anything they throw it into the air, catching it in
their throats. They are generally reared from the nest, which is placed
in the hole of a tree, and only contains two young ones, which in a
short time are domesticated, and become very attractive.
Of the nine inches, which is the whole length of this tucan, the beak
alone measures five, and is grey at the base and black at the point. The
upper part of the body is of a green black; the cheeks, throat, and
front of the neck are orange, with a crimson band across the breast. The
stomach is of a fine red, the belly and sides blackish, as well as the
pen-feathers and tail. The upper tail-coverts are of a sulphur colour,
the under ones are crimson; the feet and claws lead colour.
THE BRAZILIAN TUCAN.
Rhamphastos piscivorus, LINNÆUS; Le Toucan à gorge blanche du
Brésil, BUFFON; Der Brasilische Pfeffervogel, BECHSTEIN.
This species is twenty inches in length, of which the beak measures six;
the upper mandible is yellowish green, with the edges orange coloured
and toothed; the under mandible is of a fine blue, and the points of
both are red. The iris is light brown; the circle of the eyes greenish
yellow; the top of the head, the neck, back, belly, wings, and tail are
black; the throat, the breast, and sides yellowish white; the part about
the stomach is ornamented with a beautiful red crescent.
It is a native of Cayenne and Brazil.
THE PREACHER TUCAN.
Rhamphastos picatus, LINNÆUS; Le Toucan à ventre rouge; Der
Prediger Pfeffervogel, BECHSTEIN.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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