Malayan Ornithology . 385 



Like all the Hornbills, it is easily tamed^ and makes a 

 most amusiug pet ; the tamest I ever saw was at Trafalgar, 

 a tapioca-plantation on the north side of Singapore, where I 

 stayed for a few days in May 1879. The following is from 

 my note-book : — 



" Singapore, 30th May, 1879, On reaching Trafalgar we put 

 on sarongs, and made ourselves comfortable in long chairs, 

 out in the open air, the evening being quite cool. In the 



course of conversation, Mr. K , our most hospitable host, 



mentioned that he had a tame Horubill; and a few minutes 

 later we saw it sitting on the top of the house ; but on being 

 called, it flew down and perched on the backs of our chairs. 

 I never saw such a tame bird. It was quite at liberty ; and 

 though it had the full use of its wings and flew about among 

 the trees, it seldom went far away, coming when Mr. K 



called out its name, "Punch," and taking bread, plantains, 

 and other things out of our hands. It was much pleased with 

 the round buttons on my coat, and tried to tear them off" — I 

 suppose, thinking them to be berries of some sort. It was 

 of the black-and-white-species, Avith white bands near the 

 ends of the long tail-feathers ; irides red brown ; casque and 

 beak dusky white. At dark it flew up and roosted among 

 some cocoa-nut trees close to the house." 



Berenicornis comatus (Ratil.). The White-crested Horn- 

 bill. 



A rare bird in the south, though more common, I believe, 

 in the little- explored jungles of the north of the peninsula. 

 I obtained two specimens from Malacca ; and the following 

 are my notes on a third, Avhich I tamed and kept alive for 

 some time, and hoped to bring safely to England : — 



" Singapore, 15th September, 1879. To-day Mr. H , 



secretary to H.H. the Maharajah of Johore, sent me about 

 the queerest-looking bird I ever saw ; it was caught some- 

 where in the neighbourhood of Mount Ophir, and is, 1 ex- 

 pect, rare, or the natives would scarcely have thought it 



worth bringing so far as a present to Mr. H . I certainly 



never saw a Hornbill like it : the enormous yellowish- white 



