180 Lieut.-Col. Tickell on the Hornbills 



I possessed used to roost on the roof, flying in and out of the 

 house at pleasure. One in particular, which we kept for nearly 

 two years, became a great favourite. It was fond of being patted 

 and stroked, and would beg for the luxury, throwing its head 

 back to have the throat scratched or tickled. During the day 

 it usually sat under the portico, hailing every arriver with loud 

 screams, and uualarmed by the noisy approach of carriages. It 

 would fly to me or to the children from any distance in the gar- 

 den or grounds ; and especially attached itself to the young folks, 

 allowing them to scratch its neck, throwing itself into absurd 

 attitudes, as if coaxing them to continue, and never on any 

 occasion hurting them with its formidable bill. Thus the bird, 

 grotesque and ugly as it was, became associated, in our minds, 

 with its pretty playmates, and an inseparable appendage to their 

 little sports. But alas ! like all pets, this one met with an un- 

 timely end. It was found by the servants early one morning on 

 the roof of the house, dead, with the marks of teeth in its breast, 

 inflicted probably by some marauding cat which had surprised it 

 during sleep. 



Like the rest of the genus, B. albirostris is nearly omnivorous, 

 but prefers fruit to other food. According to Jerdon, it is found 

 in Northern India, Midnapore and Rajmahal, and Monghir on 

 the Ganges. My own experience does not corroborate this. The 

 breeding-time in Arakan and the Tenasserim Provinces is in July 

 or August ; and the female is said to lay two to four eggs in the 

 hollow of a tree, without any nest. The eggs are white. I have 

 never seen them. 



5. BucEROs (Rhyticeros) pusaran (Baffles). 



This species is very numerous in the Tenasserim Provinces 

 and in the inland forests of Arakan. Its presence is soon known, 

 on entering the lofty woods to which it resorts, by its loud and 

 as it were menacing voice, uttered in a short, gruff dissyllabic 

 croak, " Kukkuk," which it repeats at intervals, either when 

 perched or when flying over the tree-tops. Its powers of flight 

 are much more extensive than in any other species of the genus. 

 I have seen parties of five or six of these birds in Arakan, high 

 in air, flying over the sea ; and have watched them till they 



