180 DENIZENS OF THE FOREST 



After waiting a while one of the old birds appeared, and 

 perched close to the nest, then flew away screaming. 



We got the camera into position by building a platform 

 of logs and stones, as the nest was about 8 feet above the 

 ground and just below it was a steep waterfall. 



One of the party next picked up a dead young one amongst 

 the undergrowth below the nest, and we only then noticed 

 that a swarm of bees was issuing from and entering the 

 hole. After exercising a little patience we obtained the 

 desired snap, and then proceeded to cut away the tree- 

 trunk, after smoking out the bees. Some heavy labour with 

 an axe enabled us to effect an opening and the remaining 

 young bird was extracted. The poor creature was much 

 swollen and red, the skin being one large blister, resulting 

 from the stings of the bees. It was dosed with ammonia 

 and recovered sufficiently to ravenously devour some fruit, 

 but it never entirely recovered, and died a few days later. 



Some time afterwards we visited the nest and cut the tree 

 above and below the hole to see if there was any other 

 opening for the birds to enter, as the one seen in the photo- 

 graph was very small, being only 1£ in. in diameter, neither 

 was it built up, as is usually the case. It is somewhat of 

 a mystery to us how the old birds entered that hole, as we 

 could not discover another entrance. It is most unusual 

 Eor them to leave the opening as it is, for they generally 

 build it up with excreta and a gummy substance; it is a 

 peculiar sight to watch them plastering it up — a ball of the 

 material is taken in the bill, rubbed on the wood, then 

 basted with the alternate sides of the flat beak. 



They lay two to four eggs in December or January, which 

 are rough in texture and pure white in colour. 



This Hornbill is commonly called the Toucan by Colonists 

 and is dark brown above, and the head is mottled with 

 white ; the throat, chest and sides of body dark grey and 



