HORNBILLS. 



65 



to Moulmein from Mooleyit, when halting at Kyik, I heard by the merest chance 

 from the Karen villagers that a large hornbill was sitting on its nest in a tree 

 close to the village, and that for several years past the same pair of birds had 

 resorted to that spot for breeding. I accordingly lost no time in going to the place 

 the next morning, and was shown a hole high up in the trunk of a moderately 

 large straight tree, branchless for about fifty feet from the ground, in which I was 



TWO-HORNED HORNBILL. 



told the female lay concealed. The hole was covered with a thick layer of mud, 

 all but a small space, through which she could thrust the end of her bill, and so 

 receive food from the male. One of the villagers at length ascended with great 

 labour by means of bamboo-pegs driven into the trunk, and commenced digging 

 out the clay from the hole. While so employed, the female kept uttering her 

 rattling sonorous cries, and the male remained perched on a neighbouring tree, 

 sometimes flying to and fro., and coming close to us. Of him the natives appeared 

 to entertain great dread, saying that he was sure to assault them ; and it was with 



VOL, IV. — 5 



