98 TilE AFRICAN HORNBILL, AND RHIX^KUOS HORNBILL. 



propensity to chase and devour Mice and other vermin, of whic\ 

 they clear the houses with as much address as Cats. 



One of these birds, which was brought into England some years 

 ago, exhibited several interesting peculiarities in its manners. It 

 would leap forward, or sideways, with both legs at once, like a Mag- 

 pie or Jay, and never walked. Its general air was rather stupid and 

 dull ; though when agitated, it would sometimes put on a fierce look. 

 It wo i Id eat lettuce, and some other esculent vegetables, after bruising 

 them with its bill; it would also devour Eats, Mice, small birds or raw 

 flesh. It had different tones of voice on different occasions ; sometimes 

 A hoarse sound in the throat, like ouck, ouck ; at other times a hoarse 

 and weak noise, not unlike the clucking of a Turkey-hen. It used to 

 display its wings, and enjoy itself in the sunshine ; but it shivered in 

 the cold. At the approach of winter it died, unable to bear the se- 

 verity of our climate, so different to its nature from that which it had 

 left. " 



THE AFRICAN HORNBILL , AND RHINOCEROS HORNBILL. 



The length of the African Hornbill is nearly four feet. Its bill ia 

 about ten inches long, and the horny .protuberance upon it appears 

 .as if cut, with an aperture somewhat resembling the form of a club on 

 cards, or an iron lance. 

 This excrescence is of 

 the same substance as 

 the bill, but thinner, 

 and yields to pressure. 

 The aperture is about 

 an inch long, and half 

 an inch wide, having 

 on the inside a black 

 membrane, of use in 

 preventing the intro- 

 duction of any foreign 

 body into the horn, 

 which communicates 

 interiorly with the 

 head. The general 

 color of the plumage 

 is a sooty black ; some 

 of the large feathers of 

 the wings are, however 

 perfectly white. 



The former of these 

 pecies are found in 

 various parts of Africa, but are not common near the sea-coasts. The 

 females build in large, thick trees, and form a covered nest, like that 

 -.of a Maggie, but three or four times us large. This is pla^eo tlrmlj 



RHINOCEROS HOKNUILL. 



