10 
, : 3 i aved 
Dr. Jerdon discovered this new bird during his resi- | 
dence at Shillong, a new sanitarium recently opened on 
the Khasya hills. The single example known was ob- 
tained from the Mishmees, a wild tribe which inhabits the 
hills of Upper Assam, by Major Montagu, of the Bengal 
Staff Corps, who, on being informed of the value of his 
acquisition, most liberally presented this unique specimen 
to the Zoological Society. 
The new Tragopan which arrived in the Society’s 
Gardens along with the last named bird, is hardly of 
less interest to the naturalist, and to the general observer 
amuch more brilliant species in colour. It is likewise 
a gift of Major Montagu to the Society, having been 
obtained by him in the same district as the new Impeyan. 
The two Tragopans or “ Argus Pheasants,” as they are 
usually termed by Indian sportsmen, one of which 
NAT- 
URE [ May 5,.1870 
to keep alive in this country members of the great 
| fruit-eating families of the Old-world and New-world 
Tropics—such as !the Hornbills (Bucerotide), the Co- 
| tingas (Cofingide,) and others. Continued experience 
| has, however, shown that the difficulties, formerly 
supposed to be insuperable, may be overcome by careful 
' attention to dietand other matters, and in the case of the 
| Hornbills the Zoological Society has succeeded in a very 
| remarkable degree, some four or five of the finest species 
of the group having been successfully introduced into their 
aviaries, and kept in excellent health andcondition. The 
most remarkable representatives of this group in the 
Society’s Gardens at the present moment are, perhaps, the 
| great Concave-casqued Hornbills (Buceros bicornis). Apair 
of these fine birds have inhabited one of the compartments 
of the large Eastern Aviary ever since the summer of 1864, 
THE PLAIT-BILLED HORNBILL 
(Ceriornis melanocephaia) inhabits the western Himalayas, 
and the other (C. sa¢yra) the Himalayas of Nipaland Sikim, 
have long been known as among the most splendid forms 
of the Gallinaceous order. ‘The present bird, which has 
been named by Dr. Jerdon Ceriornis blythit, after one of 
the most distinguished of Indian naturalists, forms a 
third Indian species of the genus. ‘There are likewise two 
Chinese Tragopans known—making in all five members of | 
the group. Ofone of these latter—Temminck’s Tragopan 
(C. temminckit}—there are several pairs now in the Zoo- 
logical Society’s Gardens, and both this and the Cerzorns 
satyra have bred there in former years. 
(2). Four young Hornbills belonging to three species 
(Buceros bicornis, B. plicatus, and B. gractlis), received 
March 18th. 
A few years ago it was supposed to be impossible | 
andstillshow nosymptoms of yielding to theinclemencies of 
the English climate. There are, indeed, great hopes of these 
birds breeding here, in which case the British public might 
have an opportunity of becoming acquainted with the very 
singular manners and customs of the Hornbills during the 
breeding season. No sooner has the hen commenced the 
labour of incubation, say several trustworthy observers on 
this subject, than the male walls up the hole in the hollow 
tree in which the hen is sitting on her eggs, until there is 
only room for the point of her bill to protrude, so that 
until her young birds are hatched she remains confined to 
her nest, and is in the meantime assiduously fed by her 
mate, who devotes himself entirely to this object. This 
| habit has been testified to not only by Tickell, Layard, 
and other Indian naturalists concerning some of the 
Asiatic species, but is also spoken of by Dr. Livingstone 
