146 BUCEROTID^;. 



the culmen in front of the casque, and the whole commissure and 

 tips and base of both mandibles are black, and there is a red-brown 

 mark on the lower mandible in front of the black base. The iris 

 is reddish brown ; legs and feet plumbeous in both sexes. 



Fig. 41. Head of A. albirostris, rf, $. 



Distribution. There are two varieties, distinguished by size alone : 

 the larger (A. afftnis) inhabits the Lower Himalayas, as far west 

 as Dehra Dun, the Eajmehal Hills, Midnapore, and parts of Chutia 

 Nagpur, where it meets A. coronatus. It is also found in Assam 

 and the Khasi and Naga hills, and measures : length in males 

 about 35 inches, tail 11 '5, wing 12 - 5, tarsus 2-3, bill from gape 6 ; 

 females being rather less. The smaller race, A. albirostris, ranges 

 from Cachar and Manipur to Southern Tenasserim, Siam, and 

 Cochin China, and measures in males : length 28-5, tail 10-5, 

 wing 10*75, tarsus 2, bill from gape 5 ; females somewhat 

 smaller. The difference in weight is considerable, fine males 

 weighing according to Hume 2*87 and 1*75 Ibs. respectively. 



I quite agree with all Indian ornithologists who reject the mis- 

 leading name malabaricus for this species. 



Habits, Sfc. G-eneric. This species has been observed by Mr. 

 Inglis to catch and eat fish ; it is also, according to Wardlaw 

 Eamsay, very fond of snakes. It breeds in Burma in March, and 

 lays usually 2 or 3 eggs, measuring about 1-9 by 1'35. 



Genus RHYTIDOCEROS, Eeich., 1849. 



Casque small, low, rounded, and apparently composed of imbricate 

 plates, covering the basal portion of the culmen, their upper edges 

 forming alternating furrows and ridges, which are curved forward 

 in the middle and backwards at the sides. These ridges are 

 wanting in the very young and increase in number to 7 or 8 with 

 age. Chin and throat naked, forming a pouch. Commissure 

 much worn in old birds, but not nearly so much broken away as 

 in Aceros. Feathers of crown and nape lengthened and loose- 

 textured, forming a crest. 



Three species occur in the Eastern part of our area ; the only 

 other form known, R. plicatus, is Papuan. 



