354 NATURAL HISTORY. 



greatly to weaken the bird. The habit of feeding his mate seems to be inherent in every Hornbill, 

 even in captivity, for Mr. Bartlett observes : " The tame male Hornbill is particularly distinguished 

 at all seasons by this habit of throwing up his food, which he not only offers to the female, but to the 

 keepers and others who are known to him. The male Concave Hornbill (Buceros cavatus) now in the 

 Gardens will frequently throw up grapes, and, holding them in the point of the bill, thrust them into 

 the mouth of the keeper, if he is not on the alert to prevent or avoid this distinguished mark of his 

 kindness." 



Mr. Wallace thus describes the habits of the Hornbill s, as observed by him during his travels 

 in the East, and he points out certain peculiarities, proving that the old systematic position of these 

 birds near the Toucans of America is erroneous : " From an examination of the structure of the 

 feet and toes, and from a consideration of their habits, we are led to conclude that the Hornbills 

 are Fissirostral birds, though of a very abnormal form. Their very short legs and united toes, with 

 a broad flat sole, are exactly similar to those of the Kingfishers. They have powerful wings, but 

 their heavy bodies oblige them to use much exertion in flight, which is not therefore very rapid 

 though often extended to considerable distances. They are (in the Indian Archipelago, at least) 

 entirely frugivorous, and it is curious to observe how their structure modifies their mode of feeding. 

 They are far too heavy to dart after the fruit in the manner of the Trogons ; they cannot even fly 

 quickly from branch to branch, picking up a fruit here and a fruit there ; neither have they strength 

 or agility enough to venture on the more slender branches with the Pigeons and Barbets ; but they 

 alight heavily on a branch of considerable thickness, and then, looking cautiously round them, pick 

 off any fruits that may be within reach, and jerk them down their throats by a motion similar to 

 that used by the Toucans, which has been erroneously described as throwing the fruit up in the 

 air before swallowing it. When they have gathered all within their reach they move sideways along 

 the branch by short jumps, or, rather, a kind of shuffle, and the smaller species even hop across to 

 other branches, when they again gather what is within their reach. When in this way they have 

 progressed as far as the bough will safely carry them, they take a flight to another part of the tree, 

 where they pursue the same course. It thus happens that they soon exhaust all the fruit within 

 their reach ; and long after they have left a tree the Barbets and Eurylaimi find abundance of food 

 on the slender branches and extreme twigs. We see, therefore, that their very short legs and syn- 

 dactyle feet remove them completely from the vicinity of the Toucans, in which the legs are actively 

 employed in moving about after their food. Their wings, too, are as powerful as those of the Toucans 

 are weak ; and it is only the great weight of their bodies that prevents them from being capable 

 of rapid and extensive flight. As it is, their strength of wing is shown by the great force with 

 which they beat the air, producing a sound, in the larger species, which can be distinctly heard a 

 mile off, and is even louder than that made by the flight of the great Muscovy Duck." Mr. 

 Wallace * also describes the capture of a young Hornbill in Sumatra : " I returned to Palembang by 

 water, and while staying a day at a village while a boat was being made water-tight, I had the good 

 fortune to obtain a male, female, and young bird of one of the large Horiibills. I had sent my 

 hunters to shoot, and while I was at breakfast they returned, bringing me a fine large male of the 

 Buceros bicornis, which one of them assured me he had shot while feeding the female, which was 

 shut up in a hole in a tree. I had often read of this curious habit, and immediately returned to 

 the place, accompanied by several of the natives. After crossing a stream and a bog, we found a 

 large tree leaning over some water, and on its lower side, at a height of about twenty feet, ap- 

 peared a small hole, and what looked like a quantity of mud, which I was assured had been used 

 in stopping up the large hole. After a while we heard the harsh cry of a bird inside, and could 

 see the white extremity of its beak put out. I offered a rupee to any one who would go up and 

 get out the bird, with the egg or young one, but they all declared it was too difficult, and they were 

 afraid to try. I therefore very reluctantly came away. In about an hour afterwards, much to my 

 sin-prise, a tremendous loud, hoarse screaming was heard, and the bird was brought me, together with 

 a young one, which had been found in the hole. This was a most curious object, as large as 

 a pigeon, but without a particle of plumage on any part of it. It was exceedingly plump and soft, 



* " Malay Archipelago," Vol. I., p. 212, 



