HORNBILLS. 61 



portion of the beak is solid, and the entire skull consequently very heavy, whereas 

 in the other species it is remarkable for its lightness. The palate is of the bridged 

 type, and the upper part of the breast-bone has the same perforation as in the 

 hoopoes and bee-eaters. The spinal feather-tract is not defined on the neck, and 

 the tendons of the foot are split into branches, of which one leads to the first toe 

 and another to the second, while the third and fourth toes are served by one and 

 the same tendon. The tail-feathers, as in most of the Picarian birds, are ten in 

 number. The egg is white, and the young are hatched in a naked and helpless 

 condition. Confined to the Old World, the hornbills are found in Africa and the 

 Indian region, extending through the Malay countries to Celebes, and thence to 



HEAD OP WEST AFRICAN TRUMPETER-HORNBILL. 



(From Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1871.) 



New Guinea and the western islands of the Solomon group. They are divisible into 

 three subfamilies, the ground-hornbills (Bucoracince), true hornbills (Bucerotince), 

 and solid-casqued hornbills (Rhinoplacince). 



Ground- These curious and vulture-like hornbills, constituting the first 



Hornbiiis. subfamily, are peculiar to Africa, and have a hollow casque, while 

 the back of the neck and middle of the back are both feathered, and the 

 metatarsus is long, even to the extent of twice the length of the middle toe and 

 claw. The group is represented only by two species, namely, the Abyssinian 

 hornbill (Bucorax abyssinicus) from Western and North -Eastern Africa, and the 

 South African hornbill (B. cafer) from South Africa, extending on the west to 

 Angola, and on the east to the Pangani River and even as far as the Suk 

 country in Equatoria. These two species differ in the form of the casque, that of 

 the Abyssinian bird being very evidently open in front, while the South African 

 species has the casque closed, or nearly so. The Abyssinian form measures 

 upwards of 3J feet in length, with a wing of 24 inches, and has the entire plumage 

 black, excepting the primary quills, which are white. The bill and casque are 



