the naturalist on the river amazons-第88部分

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　everyone　at　Ega　who　can　get　a　gun　of　any　sort　and　a　few　charges　of　powder　and　shot；　or　a　blow…pipe；　goes　daily　to　the　woods　to　kill　a　few　brace　for　dinner；　for；　as　already　observed；　the　people　of　Ega　live　almost　exclusively　on　stewed　and　roasted　Toucans　during　the　months　of　June　and　July；　the　birds　being　then　very　fat　and　the　meat　exceedingly　sweet　and　tender。

No　one；　on　seeing　a　Toucan；　can　help　asking　what　is　the　use　of　the　enormous　bill；　which；　in　some　species；　attains　a　length　of　seven　inches；　and　a　width　of　more　than　two　inches。　A　few　remarks　on　this　subject　may　be　here　introduced。　The　early　naturalists；　having　seen　only　the　bill　of　a　Toucan；　which　was　esteemed　as　a　marvellous　production　by　the　virtuosi　of　the　sixteenth　and　seventeenth　centuries；　concluded　that　the　bird　must　have　belonged　to　the　aquatic　and　web…footed　order；　as　this　contains　so　many　species　of　remarkable　development　of　beak；　adapted　for　seizing　fish。　Some　travvellers　also　related　fabulous　stories　of　Toucans　resorting　to　the　banks　of　rivers　to　feed　on　fish；　and　these　accounts　also　encouraged　the　erroneous　views　of　the　habits　of　the　birds　which　for　a　long　time　prevailed。　Toucans；　however；　are　now　well　known　to　be　eminently　arboreal　birds；　and　to　belong　to　a　group　including　trogons；　parrots；　and　barbets　＇Capitoninae；　G。　R。　Gray。＇　all　of　whose　members　are　fruit…eaters。　On　the　Amazons；　where　these　birds　are　very　common；　no　one　pretends　ever　to　have　seen　a　Toucan　walking　on　the　ground　in　its　natural　state；　much　less　acting　the　part　of　a　swimming　or　wading　bird。　Professor　Owen　found；　on　dissection；　that　the　gizzard　in　Toucans　is　not　so　well　adapted　for　the　trituration　of　food　as　it　is　in　other　vegetable　feeders；　and　concluded；　therefore；　as　Broderip　had　observed　the　habit　of　chewing　the　cud　in　a　tame　bird；　that　the　great　toothed　bill　was　useful　in　holding　and　remasticating　the　food。　The　bill　can　scarcely　be　said　to　be　a　very　good　contrivance　for　seizing　and　crushing　small　birds；　or　taking　them　from　their　nests　in　crevices　of　trees；　habits　which　have　been　imputed　to　Toucans　by　some　writers。　The　hollow；　cellular　structure　of　the　interior　of　the　bill；　its　curved　and　clumsy　shape；　and　the　deficiency　of　force　and　precision　when　it　is　used　to　seize　objects；　suggest　a　want　of　fitness；　if　this　be　the　function　of　the　member。　But　fruit　is　undoubtedly　the　chief　food　of　Toucans；　and　it　is　in　reference　to　their　mode　of　obtaining　it　that　the　use　of　their　uncouth　bills　is　to　be　sought。　Flowers　and　fruit　on　the　crowns　of　the　large　trees　of　South　American　forests　grow；　principally；　towards　the　end　of　slender　twigs；　which　will　not　bear　any　considerable　weight；　all　animals；　therefore；　which　feed　upon　fruit；　or　on　insects　contained　in　flowers；　must；　of　course；　have　some　means　of　reaching　the　ends　of　the　stalks　from　a　distance。　Monkeys　obtain　their　food　by　stretching　forth　their　long　arms　and；　in　some　instances；　their　tails；　to　bring　the　fruit　near　to　their　mouths。　Hummingbirds　are　endowed　with　highly　perfected　organs　of　flight　with　corresponding　muscular　development　by　which　they　are　enabled　to　sustain　themselves　on　the　wing　before　blossoms　whilst　rifling　them　of　their　contents。　These　strong…flying　creatures；　however；　will；　whenever　they　can　get　near　enough；　remain　on　their　perches　while　probing　neighbouring　flowers　for　insects。　Trogons　have　feeble　wings；　and　a　dull；　inactive　temperament。　Their　mode　of　obtaining　food　is　to　station　themselves　quietly　on　low　branches　in　the　gloomy　shades　of　the　forest；　and　eye　the　fruits　on　the　surrounding　trees　darting　off；　as　if　with　an　effort；　every　time　they　wish　to　seize　a　mouthful；　and　returning　to　the　same　perch。　Barbets　（Capitoninae）　seem　to　have　no　especial　endowment；　either　of　habits　or　structure；　to　enable　them　to　seize　fruits；　and　in　this　respect　they　are　similar　to　the　Toucans；　if　we　leave　the　bill　out　of　question；　both　tribes　having　heavy　bodies；　with　feeble　organs　of　flight；　so　that　they　are　disabled　from　taking　their　food　on　the　wing。　The　purpose　of　the　enormous　bill　here　becomes　evident；　it　is　to　enable　the　Toucan　to　reach　and　devour　fruit　whil　remaining　seated；　and　thus　to　counterbalance　the　disadvantage　which　its　heavy　body　and　gluttonous　appetite　would　otherwise　give　it　in　the　competition　with　allied　groups　of　birds。　The　relation　between　the　extraordinarily　lengthened　bill　of　the　Toucan　and　its　mode　of　obtaining　food；　is　therefore　precisely　similar　to　that　between　the　long　neck　and　lips　of　the　Giraffe　and　the　mode　of　browsing　of　the　animal。　The　bill　of　the　Toucan　can　scarcely　be　considered　a　very　perfectly…formed　instrument　for　the　end　to　which　it　is　applied；　as　here　explained；　but　nature　appears　not　to　invent　organs　at　once　for　the　functions　to　which　they　are　now　adapted；　but　avails　herself；　here　of　one　already…existing　structure　or　instinct；　there　of　another；　according　as　they　are　handy　when　need　for　their　further　modification　arises。

One　day；　whil　walking　along　the　principal　pathway　in　the　woods　near　Ega；　I　saw　one　of　these　Toucans　seated　gravely　on　a　low　branch　close　to　the　road；　and　had　no　difficulty　in　seizing　it　with　my　hand。　It　turned　out　to　be　a　runaway　pet　bird；　no　one；　however；　came　to　own　it；　although　I　kept　it　in　my　house　for　several　months。　The　bird　was　in　a　half…starved　and　sickly　condition；　but　after　a　few　days　of　good　living　it　recovered　health　and　spirits；　and　became　one　of　the　most　amusing　pets　imaginable。　Many　excellent　accounts　of　the　habits　of　tame　Toucans　have　been　published；　and　therefore；　I　need　not　describe　them　in　detail；　but　I　do　not　recollect　to　have　seen　any　notice　of　their　intelligence　and　confiding　disposition　under　domestication；　in　which　qualities　my　pet　seemed　to　be　almost　equal　to　parrots。　I　allowed　Tocano　to　go　free　about　the　house；　contrary　to　my　usual　practice　with　pet　animals；　he　never；　however；　mounted　my　working…　table　after　a　smart　correction　which　he　received　the　first　time　he　did　it。　He　used　to　sleep　on　the　top　of　a　box　in　a　corner　of　the　room；　in　the　usual　position　of　these　birds；　namely；　with　the　long　tail　laid　right　over　on　the　back；　and　the　beak　thrust　underneath　the　wing。　He　ate　of　everything　that　we　eat；　beef；　turtle；　fish；　farinha；　fruit；　and　was　a　constant　attendant　at　our　tablea　cloth　spread　on　a　mat。　His　appetite　was　most　ravenous；　and　his　powers　of　digestion　quite　wonderful。　He　got　to　know　the　meal　hours　to　a　nicety；　and　we　found　it　very　difficult；　after　the　first　week　or　two；　to　keep　him　away　from　the　dining…room；　where　he　had　become　very　impudent　and　troublesome。　We　tried　to　shut　him　out　by　enclosing　him　in　the　backyard；　which　was　separated　by　a　high　fence　from　the　street　on　which　our　front　door　opened；　but　he　used　to　climb　the　fence　and　hop　round　by　a　long　circuit　to　the　dining…room；　making　his　appearance　with　the　greatest　punctuality　as　the　meal　was　placed　on　the　table。　He　acquired　the　habit；　afterwards；　of　rambling　about　the　street　near　our　house；　and　one　day　he　was　stolen；　so　we　gave　him　up　for　lost。　But　two　days　afterwards　he　stepped　through　the　open　doorway　at　dinner　hour；　with　his　old　gait；　and　sly　magpie…like　expression；　having　escaped　from　the　house　where　he　had　been　guarded　by　the　person　who　had　stolen　him；　and　which　was　situated　at　the　further　end　of　the　village。

The　Curl…crested　Toucan　（Pteroglossus　Beauharnaisii）。Of　the　four　smaller　Toucans；　or　Arassaris；　found　near　Ega；　the　Pteroglossus　flavirostris　is　perhaps　the　most　beautiful　in　colours；　its　breast　being　adorned　with　broad　belts　of　rich　crimson　and　black；　but　the　most　curious　species；　by　far；　is　the　Curl…crested；　or　Beauharnais　Toucan。　The　feathers　on　the　head　of　this　singular　bird　are　transformed　into　thin；　horny　plates；　of　a　lustrous　black　colour；　curled　up　at　the　ends；　and　resembling　shavings　of　steel　or　ebony…wood：　the　curly　crest　being　arranged　on　the　crown　in　the　form　of　a　wig。　Mr。　Wallace　and　I　first　met　with　this　species；　on　ascending　the　Amazons；　at　the　mouth　of　the　Solimoens；　from　that　point　it　continues　as　a　rather　common　bird　on　the　terra　firma；　at　least　on　the　south　side　of　the　river　as　far　as　Fonte　Boa；　but　I　did　not　hear　of　its　being　found　further　to　the　west。　It　appears　in　large　flocks　in　the　forests　near　Ega　in　May　and　June；　when　it　has　completed　its　moult。　I　did　not　find　these　bands　congregated　at　fruit…trees；　but　always　wandering　through　the　forest；　hopping　from　branch　to　branch　among　the　lower　trees；　and　partly　concealed　among　the　foliage。　None　of　the　Arassaris；　to　my　knowledge；　make　a　yelping　noise　like　that　uttered　by　the　larger　Toucans　（Ramphastos）；　the　notes　of　the　curl…crested　species　are　very　singular；　resembling　the　croaking　of　frogs。　I　had　an　amusing　adventure　one　day　with　these　birds。　I　had　shot　one　from　a　rather　high　tree　in　a　dark　glen　in　the　forest；　and　entered　the　thicket　where　the　bird　had　fallen　to　secure　my　booty。　It　was　only　wounded；　and　on　my　attempting　to　seize　it；　set　up　a　loud　scream。　In　an　instant；　as　if　by　magic；　the　shady　nook　seemed　alive　with　these　birds；　although　there　was　certainly　none　visible　when　I　entered　the　jungle。　They　descended　towards　me；　hopping　from　bough　to　bough；　some　of　them　swinging　on　the　loops　and　cables　of　woody　lianas；　and　all　croaking　and　fluttering　their　wings　like　so　many　furies。　If　I　had　had　a　long　stick　in　my　hand　I　could　have　knocked　several　of　them　over。　After　killing　the　wounded　one；　I　began　to　prepare　for　obtaining　more　specimens　and　punishing　the　viragos　for　their　boldness；　but　the　screaming　of　their　companion　having　ceased；　they　remounted　the　trees；　and　before　I　could　reload；　every　one　of　them　had　disappeared。

Insects。Upwards　of　7000　species　of　insects　were　found　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Ega。　I　must　confine　myself　in　this　place　to　a　few　remarks　on　the　order　Lepidoptera；　and　on　the　ants；　several　kinds　of　which；　found　chiefly　on　the　Upper　Amazons；　exhibit　the　most　extraordinary　instincts。

I　found　about　550　distinct　species　of　butterflies　at　Ega。　Those　who　know　a　little　of　Entomology　will　be　able　to　form　some　idea　of　the　riches　of　the　place　in　this　department；　when　I　mention　that　eighteen　species　of　true　Papilio　（the　swallow…tail　genus）　were　found　within　ten　minutes'　walk　of　my　house。　No　fact　could　speak　more　plainly　for　the　surpassing　exuberance　of　the　vegetation；　the　varied　nature　of　the　land；　the　perennial　warmth　and　humidity　of　th