76 BUCEEOTID^E. 



trococcyx rufipennis. Indeed but for being a trifle larger, they might 

 be mistaken for the eggs of this latter species. 



Sometimes the eggs of this species are markedly pointed towards 

 the small end. The shell is perhaps finer and smoother than that 

 of any of our other Hornbills ; like these they have when quite 

 fresh a slight gloss, but even then they are never, I think, quite 

 white, but always have a slight creamy or ivory tinge. 



They vary from 1 s 62 to 1/82 inch in length, and from 1/16 to 

 1*29 inch in breadth, but eleven eggs average 1/7 by 1*22 inch. 



Anorrhinus tickelli (Blyth). Tickell's Hornbill. 

 Anorrhinus tickelli (BlytK), Hume, Cat. no. 144 bis. 



Major Bingham is the only naturalist who has found the nest of 

 this rare Hornbill. He writes from Tenasserim : " On the way 

 back, as we were crossing a small, almost dry choung, a bird got 

 up, and flying a little way alighted on the branch of a middling- 

 sized pynkado-tree (Xylia dolabriformis}. Looking at it, I was 

 astonished to see it was Ocyceros tickelli, a bird usually so wary 

 and hard to get at. I raised my gun, and was on the point of 

 firing, when I noticed that its beak seemed covered with mud, and 

 instantly afterwards, with a great thump in my heart, I saw a 

 small hole in the very tree it was seated on, the sides of which 

 also appeared to have mud on them. Of course all idea of shooting 

 the bird was abandoned, and in five minutes Myat-jo had a small 

 tree cut down and placed slantingly as a ladder, and ascended to 

 interview the * missis.' Lord ! how she did hiss aud cackle, while 

 her mate outside, with loud harsh quacks, flew from tree to tree 

 around. 



" After peering and stirring the female about with a stick, for 

 what appeared to my impatience an unconscionable time, Myat-jo 

 announced the disappointing fact of * no eggs as yet.' " 



He adds : " I have already detailed above the finding of the 

 nest of this species. Visiting it later on, I was able to secure the 

 female, and no less than five eggs, all fresh. This, I fancy, must 

 be the full complement, and is more than any Hornbill of my 

 acquaintance lays. On my second visit the male was nowhere 

 about, and the female only hissed, and bit a little, poor thing. 

 The hollow, as I have said before, was in a pynkado-tree, and not 

 above twelve feet from the ground. This is surprising, especially 

 as the other two nests examined were also at heights of less than 

 20 feet, and all in small trees. Considering how wary and wild 

 the bird usually is, this is inexplicable. The material used for 

 partially blocking up the entrance seems, in this bird's, as well as 

 in the case of R. undulatus, R. subruficollis, and A. albirostris, 

 similar to that employed by D. cavatus. 



" The eggs are faintly glossy white, finely pitted like those of 

 the large Hornbill, but none have the raised little tubercles appa- 



