A Pair of Tame G round -Ilornhills. 83 



this is generally somewliat concealed 1)Y projecting stalks, 

 forming a sort of porch. The lining appears to invariably 

 consist of very fine dry grass. The nest is attached on its 

 front side to, and slnng to, upright grass stems about 3' 6" 

 or 4' 6" from the ground, and is sometimes placed very near 

 the top of the grass, and the tops are occasionally bent 

 down over the nest, presumably as a protection against the 

 elements. Inculcation lasts from fifteen to sixteen days 

 as a rule. 



XI. — On a Pair of Tame Grmmd- ffornJtiU s (BucoraK cafer, 

 Boc). By C. F. M. Swynnerton, C.M.B.O.U. 



Pat and Biddy were given to me on Di cember 8th, 1910, 

 by my friend Senhor E. Sacadnro, the Secretary of the 

 neighbouring Portuguese district of Mossurise. A charming 

 and versatile man, a keen sportsman and a good shot, and 

 overflowing witli energy and enthusiasm, he had already 

 taken up with zest the collecting of the butterflips of the 

 rubber-forests of the Madanda, and would perhaps have lived 

 to do excellent work in this and kindred directions if he 

 could have been persuaded to cease work and lie up quietly 

 during the attack of blackvvater-fever that proved fatal 

 to him. 



He had obtained the two Hornbllls on the lower Buzi 

 during the preceding season, and was, I believe, greatly 

 attached to them ; but his return with them to headquarters 

 on the high veld was followed, not extraordinarily, by a 

 mortality amongst his chief's chickens, and it seemed better, 

 for the sake of the Hornbills' own health, to place them 

 under lock and key. Sacaduro had frequently to be absent, 

 ami their Kafir gaoler on one of these occasions appeared to 

 have been interested in seeing how many arrows he could 

 feather from their quills. Their resulhng appearance when 

 they came to me may bo imagined. Each had the wings of 

 a penguin and a highly ornamental tail of only one fi'athei', 

 their remaining quills being cut l)ack short. Biddy recovered 

 her featliers, and is now a fine.looking biril. But of Pat's 



