408 Mr. C. F. M. Swynnerton on the 



weak. I frequently come across these Horubills in Chirinda 

 in the mornings up till shortly after sunrise, before they 

 scatter to their feeding-grounds, lolling on the branches, 

 usually with their breasts flat on their feet and their great 

 heads and necks leaning forward horizontally or downwards 

 as they bask in the early morning rays. Occasionally they 

 move lower or higher along the branches with ungainly 

 sidelong hops, sometimes turning suddenly right round in 

 hopping. Specimens are most easily obtainable in June, 

 when the main crop of Chisipi figs ripens. During August 

 and the early part of September these birds used to leave 

 the forest every evening before sunset and fly over to the 

 Inyamadzi, dropping to roost into the dense-foliaged trees 

 that grow out amongst the inaccessible crags of the upper part 

 of the gorge. Probably this was due to their being molested 

 by wild animals in Chirinda. They go across in large parties 

 of forty or more, the individuals flying singly or from two 

 to five together, but the party as a whole keeping more or 

 less in a straight line and preserving their places moderately 

 well throughout the journey. Although they usually travel 

 at a height of about three hundred feet, the noisy sawing 

 strokes of their wings can be heard quite plainly ; these are 

 usually repeated several times and then followed by a few 

 yards of motionless gliding flight. The berries of a large 

 Maba and of a fine Strychnos, common in Chirinda, are 

 amongst the favourite food of these Hornbills. They are 

 very easily roused at night and fly ofi" at once even if anyone 

 passes with a lantern a hundred and fifty feet below them, 

 making a great noise with their wings. 



The casque is creamy in colour and the bill is usually 

 leaden grey, in one specimen, however, it was dirty brown, 

 in another pale ochreous like the casque. It is blacker 

 towards the base, where it is finally bounded by a white 

 line descending vertically across both mandibles in front 

 of the eye from below the nostril. The bare skin below 

 the eye is dark grey or blackish, in one specimen it was 

 strongly tinged with pink. The irides vary a good deal, 

 being bright brown-madder, hazel, deep dusky purple, grey. 



