326 



&reaurg of Batumi 



to destroy the larva of a species of wild car- 

 penter bee (Xtjlocopa tcrec/o), which makes 

 its cells and deposits its eggs in the trunks of 



trees. Our figure represents the Cissites testa- 

 cea, from the East Indies. It is distinguished 

 from Horia by the head being narrower than 

 the thorax, and the posterior femora much 

 thickened. 



HORNBILL. (Aioera*.) This family of 

 Conirostral birds is remarkable for the very 

 large size of the beak, and for an extraor- 

 dinary protuberance with which this is sur- 

 mounted. They are both carnivorous and 

 frugivorous, feeding not only on various 

 berries, fruits, and other vegetable matter, 

 but also on the smaller kinds of animals, as 

 mice and small birds, as well as on insects 

 and any putrid animal substance. Their 

 large bills are of much less real than appa- 

 rent strength, and they vary considerably in 

 appearance during the diiferent periods of 

 their age, the upper process or excrescence 

 not exhibiting its genuine form till the full 

 growth of the bird. When cut across, it is 

 found to consist of a very loose bony sub- 

 stance ; its interior being traversed in every 

 direction by osseous fibres, the interspaces 

 being quite hollow : all the bones, indeed, 

 of this remarkable bird being more per- 

 meated by air than in any other species. 

 They inhabit the warm parts of Asia and 

 Africa ; and in their general habits they 

 seem to bear a considerable resemblance to 

 the Crows. The larger species are very 

 difficult of approach ; and they perch on 

 the branches of high trees, where their vision 

 can command an extensive range. They 

 may be said to hold the same rank in the 

 old continent that the Toucans do in Ame- 

 rica ; not only from the enormous size of 

 the bill, but also from their habit of swal- 

 lowing their food whole, throwing it up into 

 the air, and catching it as it falls. There 

 are many species ; but two will suffice for 

 our description. 



The RHINOCEROS HORNBILL. (Buceros 

 Rhinoceros.} This bird is about the size, 

 though rather more slender, than a hen 

 turkey : its colour black, except the lower 

 part of the belly and tip of the tail, which 

 are white : the bill is about ten inches in 

 length, slightly curved, sharp-pointed, irre- 

 gularly serrated on the edges, and furnished 

 at the base of the upper mandible with an 

 immense appendage in the form of a reverted 



horn : a longitudinal black line divides this 

 process, the part above it being of a bright 

 red, the part below yellow, and the base of 



RHINOCEROS HORNBILB. 

 (BUOEROS RHINOCEROS.) 



it block ; the bill itself is black at the base, 

 tinged with bright red, and the remainder is 

 yellow : the legs are short, strong, and of a 

 pale yellow colour. 



The UNDULATED HORNBILL. (Buceros 

 undulatus.) The beak of this species is more 

 proportioned to the size of the bird, and the 

 colours have more variety and clearance than 

 in any other of the tribe. The length of the 

 bird is about thirty inches, exclusive of the 

 bill, which is only five. The plumage is 

 black, with a strong gloss of blue, and a 

 large patch of red-brown between the shoul- 

 ders : the chin, the orbits of the eyes, and 

 the space between them and the upper man- 

 dible, are covered by a bluish bare skin ; the 

 bill is a pale yellow, tinged with brown ; 

 and is moderately curved and sharp-pointed. 



HORNED OWL. [See OWL.] 



HORNET. (.Vespa crabro.-) This insect 

 ia of the Wasp kind, but much more for- 

 midable, and very considerably larger. It 

 has four wings, the first pair being by far 

 the largest, and with these it flies with great 

 velocity. The head is oblong, and yellowish; 

 the eyes are prominent and semilunated ; 

 and between them there are two falciform 

 antenna. The body is united to the shoul- 

 ders by a slender filament ; the middle of 

 the fore part is of a dark brown hue, marked 

 with a deep yellow belt ; and the hinder 

 part is wholly of that colour, except that it 

 is variegated with eight brown spots. The 

 Hornet, like the Wasp, is extremely vora- 

 cious, and preys on almost any kind of fresh 

 animal substances which it can obtain, as 

 well as on honey, fruit, &c. Its sting is 

 greatly to be dreaded, and is often productive 

 of very serious consequences. The Hornet's 

 nest is generally built in the cavity of some 

 decayed tree, or immediately beneath its 

 roots ; and not unfrequently in timber yards 

 and other similar situations. It is of a 

 smaller size than that of the Wasp, and of a 

 somewhat globular form, with the mouths 



