Birds of Gazaland, Southern Rhodesia. 289 
115. Lornocrros MeLanotevcus. Crowned Hornbill. 
This is the Common Hornbill of the open bush and a 
frequent visitor to the forest, where, as in the bush-veld, it will 
sit bolt upright on the tops of the higher trees uttering its 
shrill piping call; in the winter it may be met with going 
about in pairs or in flocks, sometimes numbering as many as 
ten or fifteen individuals, while occasionally one individual 
or a pair is to be found availing itself of the Drongo’s pro- 
tection. It is curious to watch these birds flying at a great 
height overhead, as in crossing a valley, when they suddenly 
decide to descend; they first dive down perpendicularly, 
or nearly so, for a few yards, and pull up with a short 
horizontal swoop; then shoot down again in like manner, and 
so on until they reach the ground very little in advance of 
the point in the air from which they started: the evolution 
might best be described on paper by placing a number of 
capital J’s, with long stems and short tails, head to tail, 
downwards. Though usually at first difficult to approach, 
they resemble the Parrot in the fact that when one of their 
number has been shot, the survivors return and remain 
about the spot. 
The crops examined contained seeds, including those of 
some of the larger forest-trees, locusts, a large green bug, 
a large flower-beetle, and other beetles of various kinds. 
Length in the flesh 18°5 inches. 
116. HapaLopeRMA NARINA. Narina Trogon. 
I once met with this Trogon, in June or July last, sitting 
motionless ona branch on the outskirts of Chirinda ; unfor- 
tunately I was much too close for a shot, and while I was 
retreating and changing my cartridge the bird flew into 
the forest and was lost. My boy, however, informed me 
that this species is occasionally met with in all parts of the 
district, though everywhere rare. 
117. CaMpoTHERA ABINGDONI. Golden-tailed Woodpecker. 
I have shot only one of these Woodpeckers, in May, in 
the heart of Chirinda, but think it highly probable that it 
is this species which is so frequently met with in the forest- 
SER. IX.— VOL. I, U 
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