TEOGONS 107 



trance. It is most unusual for them to leave the opening 

 as it is, for they generally build it up with excreta and 

 a gummy substance ; it is a peculiar sight to watch them 

 plastering it up a ball of the material is taken in the 

 bill, rubbed on the wood, then basted with the alternate 

 sides of the flat beak. 



They lay, in December or January, two to four eggs, 

 which are rough in texture and pure white in colour. 



This Hornbill is commonly called the Toucan by 

 Colonists and is dark brown above, and the head is 

 mottled with white ; the throat, chest and sides of body 

 dark grey and rest of under-parts white. Bill and casque 

 red with a yellow band at the base. 



The best known " up-country " species is the Bed- 

 Billed Hornbill (L. erythrorhynchus), which has a grey 

 head and is dark brown above, with the wing feathers 

 spotted with white and the under-parts white. It can 

 easily be distinguished from the foregoing species by the 

 red beak being without a casque. 



It ranges from the Transvaal to Ehodesia, and 

 Portuguese East Africa over to German South- West 

 territory. 



There is another species which is not uncommon from 

 Natal northwards to the Zambesi, the Yellow-billed 

 Hornbill (L. leucomelas] which is immediately recognis- 

 able by its yellow bill without a distinct casque. 



TROGONS. 



Of the Family Trogonidce, South Africa possesses but 

 a single species, the beautiful Narina Trogon (Apaloderma 

 narina) . 



It is metallic -green above and below as far as the 



