BUCEROTIDiE LOrHOCEKOS 111 



Iris yellow ; bill with casque (which extends more than three- 

 quarters the length of the bill) red, darker along the cutting edge 

 and with a yellow band at the base of the upper and lower mandible; 

 legs and feet dark brown. 



Length about 23"0 (in flesh 206, Alexander) ; wing 9'6 ; tail 

 8'60 ; culmen with casque 2'40, without -90 ; tarsus 1*50. 



The female resembles the male but is slightly smaller ; the 

 young birds of both sexes have the central and outer pair of tail- 

 feathers dark brown with pale buff margins ; the casque is but 

 slightly developed and the bill is orange or yellow. 



Distribution. — The Crowned Hornbill is found throughout the 

 southern and eastern portions of the Colony and extends along the 

 eastern coast up to the Zambesi valley, where it is common ; it was 

 obtained by Audersson in Ovampoland. North of the Zambesi this 

 bird ranges to Angola on the west, Unyoro in the centre and Kill 

 manjaro and Mombasa on the east. 



The following are recorded localities : Cape Colony — George 

 (Atmore), Knysna (Layard), Albany (Schonland), Stockenstroom 

 (Atmoro), Peddie (S. A. Mus.), Port St. John's, in Pondoland (S. A. 

 Mus.) ; Natal — Ifafa (Woodw^ard), Pinetown (Brit. Mus.); Swaziland 

 (Brit. Mus.) ; Portuguese east Africa — Zambesi valley (Alexander). 



Habits. — The Crowned Hornbill is found chiefly in forest country 

 where it frequents high trees ; it associates in parties of from ten 

 to twenty individuals, except during the breeding season. They 

 float rather than fly with an easy graceful motion from tree to tree, 

 giving vent to a shrill rather squeaky alarm note as they go. Their 

 food consists chiefly of locusts and caterpillars but they are also fond 

 of fruit in the season, and devour a good many bananas and 

 tomatoes ; like the Brom-vogel they pick up their food with the 

 tips of their mandibles, then give their head a toss in the air, 

 throw up the morsel, catch it, and swallow it as it comes down 

 again. 



Like nearly all other arboreal hornbills, the nidification of which 

 has been investigated, the female of this species is enclosed in 

 a hollow tree during incubation and is fed by the male at frequent 

 intervals. Mrs. Barber, a correspondent of Mr. Layard, first 

 noticed this curious habit in the case of this bird, but perhaps the 

 most complete account is given by Dr. Schonland, who has had 

 many opportunities of examining nests at various stages of the 

 process. 



Nests have been found in various trees ; Euphorbia grandidcns, 



