HORNBILLS. 167 



was, however, apprehensive that some might arrive 

 every moment, especially if 1 should be compelled 

 to remain there all night." To obviate such a 

 necessity, he fired his fowling-piece at intervals ; 

 and at length, heard shots in reply, which proved 

 to be those of his faithful Hottentot attendants, 

 by whom he was quickly delivered from his peril- 

 ous situation. He did not, however, forget his 

 Touraco, the innocent occasion of his misfortune ; 

 and now, by the aid of the dogs, which had accom- 

 panied the Hottentots, it was at length found, 

 squatting under a thick bush. He afterwards set 

 snares for them upon the trees to which they 

 resorted to feed, and by these means captured 

 them alive. 



FAMILY VII. BUCEROTID^:. 



(Hornbffls.) 



The enormous development, and singular pro- 

 tuberances- of the beak in this Family, at once ar- 

 rest the attention of the observer. In many of the 

 species this organ is not only considerably larger 

 than the head, but has an immense projection on 

 its summit of various uncouth form, sometimes 

 resembling a horn, sometimes the crest of a hel- 

 met, &c., which not unfrequently encroaches 

 upon the skull far up towards, or even beyond, the 

 crown of the head. The edges of both mandibles 

 are more or less notched or jagged very irregu- 

 larly, as if chopped with a blunt knife ; but this 

 is observed only in adult birds, and may perhaps 

 be the result of the hardness of some description 

 of their food. 



