. Cuvier's animal kingdom : arranged according to its organization. Animals. 220 Fig. 106.—Sternum of Touraco, which at once indicates the propriety of arranging it in the present series, among which it is most nearly related to the Toucans. They have but twelve true cervical vertebrœ ; and the sternum, though singularly small, presents no affinity for that of the Poultry. The stomach is large and but slightly muscular, extending into the abdominal por- tion of the cavity of the body ; and the intestines are sliort and without coeca. Unlike the Toucans, however, they possess a small gal
. Cuvier's animal kingdom : arranged according to its organization. Animals. 220 Fig. 106.—Sternum of Touraco, which at once indicates the propriety of arranging it in the present series, among which it is most nearly related to the Toucans. They have but twelve true cervical vertebrœ ; and the sternum, though singularly small, presents no affinity for that of the Poultry. The stomach is large and but slightly muscular, extending into the abdominal por- tion of the cavity of the body ; and the intestines are sliort and without coeca. Unlike the Toucans, however, they possess a small gall-bladder ; but the tongue, at least in some of them, is similarly barbed towards the tip. The feet have the first and fourth toes directed laterally, for which reason they commonly perch lengthwise on the horizontal branches of trees, which they perambulate longitudinally, clasping the bough with their two laterally disposed toes, while the others are directed forwards. Their movements are light and elegant in the extreme, a particular in which they differ remarkably from the Colies : they pass with an easy sailing flight from tree to tree ; live in pairs or families according to the season ; subsist almost exclusively upon fruits, and lay four delicate white eggs in the hollows of decayed timber]. Such are The Touracos {Corythaix, Illiger),— The beak of which does not ascend upon the forehead, [and is generally much compressed], and the head is adorned with an erectile crest. [Seven species are now known, the ground-colour of which is generally vivid-green, with some gorg'eous crimson on the open wing. We should observe, that in all this group the feathers are very short upon the rump, the reverse of what obtains throughout the Poultry. The head, however, is small, as in the latter.] The Plantain-eaters {Mmophaga, Isert),— Are so named from the fruit on which they subsist, and are characterized by the base of the bill forming a disk, which covers part of the fo
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