4 DESCRIPTIONS OF SOME NEW SPECIES OF BIEDS. [1844-45. 



maimer to the first quill in the genus PtUonopus, as seen in Columha (P.) jambu ; head 

 crested as in most Buceridte — that is, the longest feather rising from the nape, and growing 

 shorter towards the vertex. The two middle tail-feathers surpass slightly the rest, and show 

 an indication to be tipped with white ; these feathers are more pointed than the lateral ones, 

 which become almost truncate in form and slightly graduated in length ; this structure is to be 

 observed also in the following species as well as in B. allirostris: — malaharicus, ghujianus, 

 (jitKjalcnsis, coronata (Africa), &c. 



The form of the bill in this species is very peculiar. The true line of the culmen may be 

 seen along its whole length ; a narrow groove commences at the nostril, which is placed in it, 

 and separates in a way the main portion of the upper mandible from its casque ; the culmenoid 

 ridge of the casque for half its length is much higher than the occijiital plane of the head : 

 the casque is much swollen all its length, though most so in the middle, where, when seen 

 from above, it is broader than the bill ; its posterior portion is much narrower than the front of 

 the head, and its anterior portion is much pinched, so as to render it almost sharp ; the sides of 

 the upper mandible are concave, and the margins of the bill are dentated, and in my specimen 

 much worn, irregularly notched and broken. 



From Malacca. 



Bimemions. i„,hes. 



Total length 27 



Wing 10 



Tarsus 1-^ 



Hallux 1 



Culmenoid ridge S^o 



Bill from gape 4^^ 



Gonys 3^ 



True culmen 2^ 



Bill from nostril in a straight line 4^^ 



Madr.Journ. BUCEROS COMATU.S, Raffles. 



liii. p.loO. A specimen of what I consider to be this bird is now before me; but in case it should 



not be the same species, I add the following description. Head, neck, throat, breast, tip of 

 the primaries, belly, and tail white ; wings, back, upper and under tail-coverts, vent, and thigh- 

 coverts black ; the feathers on the cro^vn of the head are stiff, loose in the web, black at the 

 base, with black shafts for half their length ; immediately behind the nostril springs a tuft of 

 loose stiff hairy feathers half the length of the bill, and some of them with black shafts all their 

 length ; on the sides of the basal portion of the lower mandible, though not quite at the rictal 

 angle, a few black bristles occur, these are so far spurious in that they show a tendency to run 

 into the texture of a feather, a lew scattered hairs in lieu of close webs springing from the sides 

 of the shaft; the ciliary bristles are remarkably strong and black; the throat is thinly clothed 

 with feathers ; the crest is long and full. The white colour of the feathers is purest underneath 

 the outermost ones, which are of a tawny hue; the black colour of the ventral feathers inclines 

 to rusty ; the abdominal feathers are black for the basal half of their length. 



