88 BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 



Male. Bill and casque yellow, tinged with orange at the tip and in the 

 middle; the base of the casque, a triangular patch on each side of the 

 anterior end of the casque and the junction of the casque and bill black ; 

 iris deep red; eyelids black; legs plumbeous; claws dark horn-colour. 



Female. Lower mandible whitish, the base black ; upper mandible and 

 casque yellowish orange, turning red at the base and at the tip of the 

 casque ; base of the upper mandible near the eye and orbital skin black ; 

 iris bluish white ; eyelids orange-brown ; legs plumbeous ; claws horny. 



Length 51 inches, tail 18'5, wing 20'5, tarsus 2'8, bill from gape 10'3. 

 The female is smaller : length 46 inches, wing 19'5, tail 18'5, bill from 

 gape 9*5. The casque of this species is of very large size, rather flat at 

 top, coming to two points in front and considerably broader than the bill. 



The Great Pied Hornbill is found abundantly in all the dense virgin 

 forests of British Burmah, both in the plains and hills.. 



To the north it extends through the Indo-Burmese countries and the 

 hill-tracts of Eastern Bengal to the Himalayas, and it is found in a 

 considerable portion of Southern India. To the south it ranges down the 

 Malay peninsula to Sumatra ; and Dr. Tiraud states that he met with it 

 in Cochin China. 



This enormous Hornbill, the largest of the family that is found in 

 Burmah, occurs in flocks of from six to twenty individuals in most parts 

 of the densely wooded portions of the country. Occasionally it may be 

 seen well out on an open plain, but on such occasions its object is to 

 secure the fruit growing on some isolated tree ; it quickly retires to the 

 forest if disturbed. The noise made by its wings when flying is very loud, 

 and may be heard a long distance. The food of this Hornbill appears to 

 be exclusively fruit ; and I have not observed it feeding on the ground, as 

 many of the other Hornbills do. The breeding-season commences in 

 March or probably in February; but I myself have taken the eggs in 

 March only. A large natural hollow in a tree is selected at a considerable 

 height from the ground, and the female having taken up her position 

 within, is gradually immured by the male, who plasters up the opening 

 with a mixture of dung, earth, bits of bark and leaves, till nothing is left 

 open but a small slit through which the female can pass her bill in order 

 to receive the food brought to her most assiduously by the male. The 

 female remains shut up all the time she is incubating, and probably for 

 some time after the young are Latched. The eggs are usually two in 

 number, white, but much stained with yellow at times. 



