THE GREY HORNBILL 87 



must have done. Nor is the excitement over when it 

 reaches its destination. Owing to the weight of the 

 beak, the hornbill is in danger of toppling over, 

 head foremost, as it alights on a branch, and assuredly 

 would sometimes do so but for the long tail which 

 serves to balance the great beak. So vigorously does 

 the hornbill have to flap its wings during flight that 

 the sound of the air rushing through them can be 

 heard for nearly half a mile in the case of the largest 

 species. 



All hornbills are grotesque. The grey species is, 

 however, the least grotesque, and approaches the 

 most nearly to the appearance of normal birds. Three 

 species of grey hornbill occur in India. The common 

 grey hornbill (Lophoceros birostris) is characterised 

 by the possession of what is known as a casque 

 an appendage which the other two species of grey 

 hornbill lack. This is a horny excrescence from the 

 upper surface of the beak. In some species the casque 

 is so large as to extend over the greater part of the 

 head and beak. No one has yet discovered its 

 use. I am inclined to think that it has no use. 

 The Malabar and Ceylonese grey hornbills, whose 

 habits are identical with those of the common grey 

 hornbill, thrive very well, in spite of the fact that 

 they have no casque. 



Lophoceros birostris is a bird nearly two feet in 

 length. The prevailing hue of the plumage is greyish 

 brown. The bill, which is four inches long, and the 

 casque are blackish. Like the other members of 

 this peculiar family, the grey hornbill possesses 



