174 Lieat.-Col. Tickell on the Hornhills 



space, and their tips whitish. Two central rectrices as back, with 

 pale tips ; rest greenish black, with pale tips. All under-parts 

 ferruginous, rather pale, brightest on throat, dull and clouded 

 with vinous ashy on belly. Auriculars striated bistre-brown, as 

 are sides of neck obscurely. Tertials as upper parts. Lining of 

 wings dusky and tawny. 



The male is two inches longer than the female. 



The specimen figured is a female, obtained from the Tenas- 

 serim Hills, January 1855. The bird has no vulgar specific, 

 being unknown to the natives. 



The district of Amherst, in the Tenasserim Provinces, is lon- 

 gitudinally traversed for its whole extent, north and south, by 

 a range of mountains (a branch of the Yomatoung of Burmah), 

 which proceeds southwardly, through Tavoy and Mergui, into 

 the Malayan peninsula, of which it forms as it were the backbone. 

 The range is composed of numerous ridges, more or less tortu- 

 ous, rising along the middle to peaks of from 6000 to 8000 feet 

 in height, and occupying in breadth a space of about 40 miles. 

 The hills are exceedingly steep, with narrow profound valleys, 

 and everywhere clothed with dense forest and underwood, except 

 on some of the loftiest summits, which are bare granite, scantily 

 clad with coarse grass and scrubby bushes. But on the lower 

 spurs, and especially in the plains at their feet, the soil, watered 

 by numerous brooks and streams, and covered by vegetable de- 

 tritus washed down from the uplands, is exceedingly rich, and 

 nourishes the growth of trees, which attain prodigious dimensions. 

 The "Thengan" [Hopea odorata), " Toungbing,'' and " Kathyk- 

 kha" trees, used by the Burmese and Talaings for making "dug- 

 outs" of 50 tons and upwards, rise to 150 feet before sending 

 out a branch, their summits attaining a height of 230 feet, and 

 their trunks smooth, round, and perpendicular, measuring near 

 the ground from 10 to 12 feet in diameter. 



It is exclusively on these giants of the forest that this species 

 of Hornbill rests and feeds, never being met with in jungle 

 where the trees are of ordinary size. I met with thera from 

 about the base of the hills to as high up as 4000 feet above 

 the sea-level, but not beyond. They appeared less rare on the 



