. The Andes and the Amazon :|bor across the continent of South America. autiful are the curb-crested, or Beauharnais toucans, and the ,whose breast is adorned with broad belts of red, crimson,and black. Wlierefore such a beak ? every naturalistlias asked; but the toucan still wags his head, as much asto say, you can not tell. There must be some otherreason than adaptation. Birds of the same habits arefound beside it—the ibis, pigeon, spoonbill, and toucan areseen feeding together. How astonishing are the freaksand fancies of l^ature! (wrote the funny Sidney Smith).To what purpose
. The Andes and the Amazon :|bor across the continent of South America. autiful are the curb-crested, or Beauharnais toucans, and the ,whose breast is adorned with broad belts of red, crimson,and black. Wlierefore such a beak ? every naturalistlias asked; but the toucan still wags his head, as much asto say, you can not tell. There must be some otherreason than adaptation. Birds of the same habits arefound beside it—the ibis, pigeon, spoonbill, and toucan areseen feeding together. How astonishing are the freaksand fancies of l^ature! (wrote the funny Sidney Smith).To what purpose, we say, is a bird placed in the woods ofCayenne with a bill a yard long, making a noise like apuppy-dog, and laying eggs in hollow trees ? The toucan,to be sure, might retort, to what purpose are certain fool-ish, prating members of Parliament created, pestering the Umbrella-bied. 307 House of Commons Mith their ignorance and folly, andimpeding the business of the country? There is no endto such questions; so we will not enter into the metaphys-ics of the On the flooded islands of the Negro and Upper Ama-zon is found the rare and curious umbrella bird, black asa crow, and decorated with a crest of hairy pbimes and along lobe suspended from the neck, covered with glossyblue feathers. This latter appendage is connected withthe vocal organs, and assists the bird in producing itsdeep, loud, and lengthy fluty note. There are three spe-cies. Another rare bird is the TJruponga, or Campane-ro, in English the tolling-bell bird, found only on the bor-ders of Guiana. It is of the size of our jay, of a pure 308 The Andes and the Amazon. white color, with a black tubercle on the upper side of thebill. Orpheus himself (says Waterton) would drop hislute to listen to him, so sweet, so novel, and romantic isthe toll of the pretty, snow-white Campanero. TheCampanero may be heard three miles! (echoes SidneySmith). This single little bird being more powerful thanthe belfry of a cathed
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