BUCEEOTID^. 211 



255. TockllS erythrorhynchus (Gmel.). Red-billed Hornbill. 



Le Calao Toe, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 238. 

 Buceros riifirostris, Sundevall, Ofvers. 1850, p. 108. 

 Buceros erythrorhynchus, Sundevall, Ofvers. 1850, p. 130. 



Layard's Cat. No. 456. 



Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 406. 



Gurney, in Ibis, 1869, p. 296. 



Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 



p. 491. 



Tockus erythrorynchus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 7893. 

 Tockus leucomelas, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 7895. 

 Tockus erythrorhynchus, Sharpe's Cat. No. 75. 



This species is common in Ondonga, at the Okavango 

 River, and for some distance to the south of that stream ; 

 and I have obtained specimens from Lake Ngami. I 

 have also met with it in Damara Land proper, at Objim- 

 binque and Schmelen's Hope ; but specimens from these 

 two last-named localities differ considerably from those 

 found in more northern parts. Thus in the former the 

 whole of the underparts, the forehead, a broad band 

 above the eyes continued down the sides of the neck, 

 the ears, cheeks, chin, and throat are of a uniform silky 

 white ; whilst in the more northern bird the colour of 

 these parts, as well as of the breast, is mingled with 

 blackish grey, and there is also less white about the 

 wings and tail. 



This Hornbill is frequently seen searching for food 

 upon the ground; and the way in which it swallows 

 some kinds of food is peculiar, raising its head and 

 pitching the morsel into the air, receiving it again into 

 its bill, and repeating the process several times, perhaps 

 with the object of softening the food or reducing it to a 

 pulp. 



p2 



