353 Mr. Blyth's Commentary 



Of B. rhinoceros he remarks — " Individuals from Hindustan 

 and Ceylon resemble those from Java, but it appears that their 

 caudal band is considerably narrower^' (Mus. P.-B. Buceros, 

 p. 4). B. rhinoceros lunatus is also given from Hindustan and 

 Ceylon. 



B. coronatus (Bodd. nee Temm.) is given from Hindustan 

 and Sumatra. (Surely the Sumatran individuals — if veritably 

 Sumatran — should be referred to B. convexus, which has the 

 casque smaller and much broader than it is in the common spe- 

 cies of South India and Ceylon, nearly resembling, in coloration 

 as in form, that of B. albirostris.) 



B. malayanus. " Observed in Hindustan." 



Most assuredly no assertion regarding the fauna of " Hindu- 

 stan " can be made with more implicit confidence, than that the 

 list of Hornbills admitted into Dr. Jerdon's work is a complete 

 one, unless, indeed, the Toccus gingalensis {verus) should yet 

 prove to inhabit Southern Malabar. Such very conspicuous 

 birds could not escape the notice of British ornithologists in 

 India, and moreover they would be familiarly known to the 

 natives — B. rhinoceros beyond all question. The heads of Horn- 

 bills are commonly enough preserved and kept when ordinary 

 birds pass unnoticed. Even a single additional species would 

 need very positive evidence for its acceptation ; but B. rhinoceros 

 and B. lunatus (which are not elsewhere found together) , and B. 

 malayanus in addition ! it can only be a mistake. Heads or 

 even skins might have been obtained from natives, but they had 

 been originally imported. 



In associating the Parrots with " other Scansores " Dr. Jerdon 

 writes — "I agree with Gray, Horsfield, Wallace, and indeed 

 most naturalists, that their true place is among the Scansorial 

 division of the Insessores." Mr. Wallace, however, has since 

 expressed an opposite opinion (P. Z. S. 1864, p. 278). Dr. 

 Jerdon further adduces as one reason for thus classing the 

 Psittaci " their very great development in Australia, to the total 



exclusively to tlie Upper pro-\ances of tlie Bengal Presidency, as distin- 

 guished alike from Bengal and from tlie Dukhun or tableland of the 

 peuinsiJa, which is the southern home of the Hindus proper. 



