158 BUCEROTID^E. 



observed by Legge appears to resemble that of L. birostris. This 

 Hornbill lives mainly on fruit, but occasionally eats lizards, 

 scorpions, and insects. 



Genus RHINOPLAX, Gloger, 1842. 



Bill moderate, pointed, nearly straight. Casque high, flat at 

 sides, rounded above, vertically truncated in front, all the front 

 part solid. Whole chin and throat, neck all round, and middle of 

 back naked. Middle tail-feathers in the male twice as long as the 

 others. Sexes alike in plumage. 



This very remarkable and aberrant genus contains a single 

 species only. 



1065. Rhinoplax vigil. The Helmeted Hornbill. 



Buceros vigil, Forster, Ind. Zool. p. 40 (1781). 



Buceros scutata, Bodd. Tabl PL Enl. p. 55 (1783). 



Buceros galeatus, Gm. Syst. Nat. i, p. 360 (1788) j Blyth, J. A. 8. B. 



xvi, p. 998 ; id. Cat. p. 45. 

 Rhinoplax scutatus, Horsf. fy M. Cat. ii, p. 581 ; Hume, 8. F. iii, 



p. 318. 

 Rhinoplax viaril, Elliot, Mon. Sue. pi. 10; Hume fy Dav. S.'F. vi, 



p. 115 ; Hume, Cat. no. 146 quint ; Oates, B. B. ii, p. 89 ; Hartert, 



J.f. Orn. 1889, p. 366 ; Ogihie Grant, Cat. B. M. xvii, p. 427. 



Coloration. Forehead, crown, and nape black ; feathers behind 

 eyes and ear-coverts chestnut ; breast, sides of back, and outside of 

 wings black ; scapulars, tertiaries, and rump browner ; abdomen, 

 upper and lower tail-coverts, and under wing- coverts white ; base 

 and tips of all quills, except the first primary and the last second- 

 aries, white ; long middle pair of tail-feathers whity brown, the 

 others white, all with a broad subterminal black band. 



Anterior half of bill and front of casque yellow, rest of casque 

 and posterior half of bill crimson ; iris dark red ; bare skin of neck 

 and back, legs and feet, and skin everywhere beneath feathers 

 dull deep red in male, in the female the naked back and hind-neck 

 are reddish lilac, sides and front of neck greenish blue, veined with 

 sky-blue {Hartert}. 



Length of male about 5 feet ; tail 34 inches ; wing 19 ; tarsus 3 ; 

 bill from gape 6'5. Female : length about 50 ; tail 26 ; wing 16*5 ; 

 bill 5-75. 



Distribution. Malay Peninsula, extending into the extreme south 

 of Tenasserim ; also Sumatra and Borneo. 



Habits, &fc. A very shy bird, inhabiting high forest generally in 

 pairs, not descending to the ground, and living on fruit. The 

 flight is weak. The note is very peculiar and powerful ; it begins 

 with a series of whoops, uttered at intervals that grow gradually 

 less till, after ten or a dozen quick repetitions, the call ends in a 

 harsh cackling laugh. This account is taken from Davison, whose 

 observations are confirmed by Hartert. Nothing is known of the 

 nidification, nor of the use to which the bird puts its very singular, 

 straight, pointed bill and heavy casque. 



