20 VIOLACEOUS HO11NB1LL. 



and three lateral tail-feathers are white: the bill is 

 of a yellowish white, shaped like that of the white- 

 beaked Hornbill, the base of both mandibles, as 

 well as that of the casque, being ornamented by a 

 band of crimson, which at the base of the lower 

 mandible extends to some distance beneath the 

 eyes, and is crossed by two narrow black bars: the 

 casque, like that of the immediately preceding 

 species, is marked on each side by two longitu- 

 dinal furrows, and by a large black patch in front: 

 the eyes are of a bright reddish-brown. 



The bird is a native of Ceylon, and was exa- 

 mined in a living state by Monsr. Levaillant in a 

 menagerie at the Cape of Good Hope, whither it 

 had been brought by a Dutch vessel returning 

 from India. It shewed a remarkable degree of 

 docility and attachment towards its keeper, and 

 was fed with meat, either raw or dressed, as well as 

 with various kinds of vegetables. It also pursued 

 and readily caught both rats and mice, which it 

 swallowed entire, after having rubbed them in its 

 bill. It was a general peace-maker in the mena- 

 gery, and whenever a quarrel arose among any of 

 the other birds, it immediately ran to them, and by 

 the strokes of its beak enforced a suspension of 

 hostilities. It even kept the larger birds in awe, 

 and Levaillant once saw it cause an Ostrich to run 

 away with all its speed, pursuing it half flying and 

 half running. In short it became the formidable 

 tyrant of the whole menagery, which it imposed 

 upon by the size of its enormous bill rather than 



