242 MR. C. HORNE ON THE GREY HORNBILL. [Apr. 8, 
these birds is much to be dreaded in well-stocked fruit-gardens. It 
feeds on all kinds of fruit, but more especially on figs, whether cul- 
tivated or of the wild varieties. The bird, its beak, and its structure 
have been so often described, that I will confine my remarks to what 
I have myself observed. 
During the year 1867 I was resident at Mainptri, N.W. pro- 
vinees, India, and was much troubled with these birds, of which I 
shot a dozen. This was an easy matter, as when in search of food 
they are very fearless. 1 observed its habit of climbing by the 
beak, somewhat as a Parrot does ; and the way in which they cleared 
the trees of fruit and jerked the said fruit into their throats, after 
seizing it with the points of their beak, was very curious. 
I had some very choice, large, loose-skinned oranges ; and I often 
found apparently entire skins only still attached to the twig, the 
whole of the inside having been extracted, piece by piece, section by 
section, by this clever “ Dhanel,” as he is there called. 
In April 1868 I received intelligence of two nests, and found that 
both had been made in the trunks of “Seemal,” or cotton-trees 
(Bombax heptaphyllum), the bird having dug out and enlarged with 
his bill holes in this soft wood which had been previously used by 
Parrots. 
In each case I obtained three eggs; and the hole, at a great height 
from the ground, appeared to have been plastered up with cowdung, 
or something nearly resembling it. I could not, however, determine 
this positively, as in each case I had to go some six or eight miles, 
and so had no opportunity of observing the process. The bird 
which I took from one nest had lost many of her loosely put-on 
feathers, and appeared to be in bad condition. As, however, the 
natives wanted her flesh for medicinal purposes, I allowed them to 
take her. 
I was, however, more fortunate at the close of the same month 
(April 1868). Ou my lawn, surrounded by other trees, stood a 
noble sissoo-tree (Dahilbergia sissoo) ; and where the first great fork 
diverged was a hole, for the possession of which for purposes of in- 
cubation the Rollers and Parrots were always noisily contending. I 
had often wished the Hornbills to use this ; and I was much pleased 
to see that, after great consultation and inspection, and vociferation 
by the Rollers, and screeching by the Parrots, they on April 28, 
1868, made up their minds to use it. The hole was nearly a foot in 
depth, and roomy inside. On the 29th of April the female went 
into the hole, and did not again come out. 
There was sufficient room in it for the female to draw in her head 
altogether when she wished to conceal herself or to bring up the 
ordure from below. 
The hole being about 10 feet from the ground and opposite my 
verandah, I could watch everything perfectly through a glass. The 
tree was also very near to the house. 
From the time the female went in, the male was most assiduous 
in feeding her, bringing generally the small Peepul-fig. 
On April 30th I observed the female working hard at closing the 
