Transvaal and Uinzeilla's Country. 51 



were crocodiles about ; however my driver and a Kaffir, by 

 digging with a spade to a considerable depth, managed to 

 get at the nest. The Boer put his arm into the hole and felt 

 the eggs ; he also felt the ohl bird, not sitting on the eggs, 

 but a little on one side, where it remained and allowed itself 

 to be caught : it was my intention to let it go, but my com- 

 jDanion wishing for its skin it was retained, and on dissection 

 proved to be a male bird. The eggs were four in number, 

 and white. 



387. BucERos BUCCINATOR, Tcmm. Trumpeter Hornbill. 



Two females, shot July 1885, at the junction of the 

 Mashupan and Olifants rivers (Transvaal). 



I found a few of these strange birds in the bush along the 

 above-mentioned rivers, where they were feeding on wild 

 figs. The last time I had previously met with this species 

 was many years ago on the coast of Natal. 



These Hornbills are shy and difficult to approach; their 

 flight is peculiar, and they make a great noise with their 

 wings; their note is loud, harsh, and not easily described, a 

 sort of kor-kor, kor, kor, kor-kor, which has a melancholy 

 sound. 



[The two females sent measure as follows, the larger bird 

 being apparently the older of the two : — 



Wing. Tail. Tarsus. 



In Sharpens ' Layard^ the wing is given as 11*50 and the 

 tail as 9*50, which may probably be the measurement of a 

 male bird. — J. H. G.] 



Irrisor erythrorhynchus (Lath.). Red-billed Wood- 

 hoopoe. 



Male, shot at Rovi-rand, June 1885. 



I found these birds tolerably plentiful all along my route 

 wherever there was suitable bush ; they are found in small 

 families, varying from three to eight in number ; they search 

 for food principally amongst the dead branches of trees and 



e3 



