246 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



ill old specimens, but never reaches downwards to the upper 

 mandible, as iu the next species. Casque very large, and exceed- 

 ino-ly compressed laterally, protruding far backward over the 

 crown and its ridge, terminating in an acute angle anteriorly, 

 being prolonged considerably beyond the junction of the casque 

 with the upper mandible. 



Length o feet; wing 13 inches; ext. 39 inches ; tail 14 ; bill 

 from gape 7 inches; bill with the casque 4 inches high; casque itself 

 8 ; naked skin on the throat, pale livid-fleshy: irides crimson, brown 

 in young birds ; feet dark grey. 



The female is rather smaller ; there is no black on the hind edge 

 of the casque, and both bill and casque are slightly smaller. 

 The young have at first no black on the incipient casque, which 

 appears, and increases in quantity, with the growth of the 

 lattt-r. 



The ]\Ialabar Pied Horubill is found in all the heavy jungles of 

 Southern India. I have seen it in Malabar, Goomsoor, and 

 Central India. It extends also to Ceylon. They are almost always 

 found in small parties of five or six, and very generally in thick 

 forest, near water ; they live on fruit and berries, which they 

 swallow whole ; and are very fond of the fruit of the Kiidila, 

 (Strychnus nux-vomica,) hence the name in some parts of India. 

 The fruit of the banian, and other figs, are also favorite morsels 

 with this, as with all other fruit-eating birds. White notices 

 that one he examined had eaten an egg. They are very noisy, 

 and their voice is loud and harsh. They occasionally, in forest 

 country, come out into open spaces in the jungle, to large trees that 

 have fruit on them. Layard states that it ap[)ears to be much on 

 the o-round, seeking for food : this I have never observed. He 

 further says that, to detach fruit from the tree, the bird throws 

 itself off its perch, twisting and flapping its wings till its object is 

 attained, when it recovers itself, and swallows the fruit. He says 

 that he has seen a live bird help itself to climb by its bill, as a 

 Parrot does. 



Mr. Baker states that the male bird plasters up the female in her 

 nest, in the hole of a tree, during incubation, as the last species is 

 recorded to do. 



