BIRDS OF TENASSEIUM. 115 



more of a golden tinge on the head and paler on the front of 

 the neck. 



R. narcondami, nobis, Stray Feathers, I., 411, is in many 

 respects a miniature of this species ; in fact, the female is 

 an exact miniature, and weighs one lb. against three lbs., in 

 subruficollis. 



The male is, however, more exactly a miniature of the true 

 ruficollis from New Guinea, having the head and neck a bright 

 chestnut, but it differs from this latter species not only in 

 its much smaller size, but also in the fact that the bare gular 

 skin does not extend over the throat even as far down as a line 

 joining the ends of the lower mandible. 



146 quint.— Rhinoplax vigil, Forst. (1). 



Bankasooru 



Confined to the southernmost extremity of the province. 



[The only place where the Solid-billed Hornbill was met 

 with was in the evergreen forests at Malewoon and Bankasoon ; 

 and, although they were seen and heard on several occasions, 

 it was only after a week or ten days' hard work, tramping 

 through «the forests over hill and dale the greater part of each 

 day, that I succeeded in securing a single specimen. The birds 

 are so excessively shy that it is next to impossible to get near 

 them, and this is not to be wondered at, for when one by chance 

 appears anywhere near a village, everyone who can shoot or 

 can get hold of a gun is sure to try and shoot it, for the heads 

 are in great demand, bringing, it is said, as much as fifty rupees. 

 They are carved in relief in the most outrageously indecent man- 

 ner, and are considered most potent love charms — the happy- 

 possessor, it is said, being able to work his wicked will with 

 the most virtuous and modest. 



As has already been remarked, the birds are excessively shy 

 and rare, and they confine themselves almost exclusively to 

 the evergreen forests, where they frequent the very highest 

 trees. Their note is very peculiar, and can be heard at the 

 distance of a mile or more. It commences with a series of 

 whoops, uttered at intervals of about half a minute for five or 

 ten minutes ; then the interval between each whoop grows 

 shorter and shorter, till the whoop, whoop, whoop, is repeated 

 very quickly ten or a dozen times — the bird ending up by 

 going off into a harsh quacking laugh. There is then a pause 

 of ten minutes or a quarter of an hour or more, and then it 

 recommences. It chiefly utters this call in the morning 

 and evening, but occasionally also during the day. I heard and 

 saw this species also more than once in the Malay Peninsula. 



The specimen shot had eaten only a quantity of fruit ; no 

 specimen was ever seen to descend to the ground. — W. D.] 



