298 



VERTEBRATA. AVES. 



THE HORNBILL (Buceros Cavatus). 



plumage and large size, having an enormous bill usu- 

 ally furnished at the base with excrescences, more 

 or less resembling horns ; in some, the projection 

 is scarcely less than the rest of the bill. The use 

 of this singular structure is not ascertained. They 

 inhabit India and Africa, where they are said to eat 

 fruits, and to hunt for small birds, mice, and rep- 

 tiles ; some, according to M. Le Vaillant, even de- 

 vour carrion. They are noisy, and associate in nocks, 

 and are reported to have the habit of tossing their 

 prey into the air and catching it again before it is 

 devoured. 



