1 70 PASSERES. BUCEROTID^E. 



Upwards of twenty species of this genus are 

 named, which are all natives of Africa, or India 

 and its archipelago. Comparatively little is 

 known of any of them, except so much as may 

 be gained by inspection of their dried skins pre- 

 served in museums ; though these evidences of 

 their existence were very early objects of curiosity 

 to Europeans, and conspicuously noted in cata- 

 logues, as " Horned Ravens," and " Rhinocerot- 

 birds." Bontius, describing one under the name 

 of "Indian Raven" (the Buceros hydrocorax of 

 LINN.), which he met with in the Moluccas, ob- 

 serves, that it walks in the manner of the Crow of 

 our countries, but differs much in disposition from 

 our Crows, inasmuch as it feeds not on carrion, 

 but most especially on nutmegs, devouring them 

 so greedily as to do serious damage. Its flesh is 

 very delicate, and when roasted has an aromatic 

 flavour, evidently derived from its food. Of 

 another species, " the Horned Indian Raven, 

 or Topan, called the Rhinocerot-bird," he says, 

 " This horned bird, as it casts a strong smell, so it 

 hath a foul look, much exceeding the European 

 Raven in bigness. It lives upon carrion and gar- 

 bage, that is, the carcasses and entrails of animals ; 

 and waits upon the hunters who kill wild cattle, 

 boars, and stags, to gorge itself with the offals." 

 Major-General Hardwicke, in his account of Bu- 

 ceros galeatus, LINN., in the " Linnean Transac- 

 tions," vol. xiv., thus describes the habits of the 

 Hornbills generally : " The progressive motion of 

 the birds of this genus, although their feet are 

 formed for walking, is always by jumping or hop- 

 ping. I have kept several species alive, and they 

 all moved in the same manner. In a state of 



