506 



THE WHITE-CRESTED HORNBILL. 



WniTE-CTlESTED HOSNBILL— I5iic«r<w nlbocrisidtw. 



which, with the noise of the wings, pro- 

 duces a most weird-like sound in the 

 forest depths, which is a fertile source of 

 alarm to the timid traveller. 



The food of the Hornhill seems to 

 consist both of animal and vegetable 

 matters, and Lesson remarks that those 

 species which inhabit Africa live on 

 carrion, while those that are found in 

 Asia feed on fruits, and that their flesh 

 acquires thereby an agreeable and pecu- 

 liar flavour — something, we may pre- 

 sume, like that of the famous lamb fed 

 upon pistachio nuts. Perhaps this state- 

 ment may be too sweeping, and the birds 

 of both continents may in all probability 

 be able to eat both animal and vegetable 

 food. 



At all events, the enormous beak of 

 the Rhinoceros Hornbill, which is one of 

 the Asiatic species, appears to bo made 

 for the express ];^irpose of destroying 

 animal life, as is now known to be the 

 case with the corresponding member of 

 the toucan. It is hard to think that so 

 formidable a weapon should be given to 

 the Hornbill merely for the purpose of 

 eating fruits ; and when we remember that 

 many of the species are acknowledged to 

 be carnivorous, and that the toucan em- 

 ploys its huge and similarly formed beak 

 in the destruction of small quadrupeds 

 and birds, it is but rational to suppose 

 that the Hornbill acts often in a similar 

 fashion. 



One individual, a Concave Hornbill 

 {Buceros cavdtus), which was kept in 

 captivity, was much more attached to 

 animal than vegetable food, and, like the 

 toucan, would seize with avidity a dead 

 mouse, and swallow it entire, after squeez- 

 ing it once or twice between the saw- 

 shaped edges of its beak. The Rhinoceros 

 Hornbill is said to be oftentimes ex- 

 tremely carnivorous in its habits, and 

 to follow the hunters for the purpose of 

 feeding upon the offal of the deer and 

 other game which they may have killed. 



While on the ground, the movements 

 of the Hornbill are rather peculiar, for 

 instead of walking soberly along, as might 

 be expected from a bird of its size, it 

 hops along by a succession of jumps. It 

 is but seldom seen on the ground, pre- 

 ferring the trunks of trees, which its 

 powerful feet are well calculated to clasp 

 firmly. 



