84 NOTES ON THE NIDIFICATION 



The circumstance borders on the marvellous, but I think it 

 cannot be rejected. — Ed., S. F.] 



142.— Hydrocissa albirostris, Shaw. 



About a mile and a half from my camp, crowning the top of 

 a low hill and towering high above the rest of the trees, stood 

 a giant Pymma (Lagerstrcemia Flos Regince). Ou the 23rd 

 March I found a nest of the above mentioned hornbill in a hole 

 in a huge decayed branch of this tree, fully 50 feet above the 

 ground. To ascend the tree I had to get a ladder prepared, 

 which a couple of Karens accomplished in about an hour and 

 half. It was constructed of bamboo, the rungs consisting of 

 tough short pieces driven into the tree and tied at their other 

 ends to a couple of long bamboos, which formed the outer side 

 piece of the ladder. So firm and strong did the affair look that 

 I went up myself and was able to examine the nest closely. 

 This was, as I have said, in the stump of a decayed branch; but 

 the entrance to the hole was greatly contracted by a substance 

 that looked like the bird's own dung ; on one side however an 

 opening had been left — a mere slit — about 10 inches long by 1\ 

 inches in breath — through which evidently, the female received 

 food. After carefully inspecting the outside of the nest I pro- 

 ceeded to break it open with a dah or Burmese knife I had 

 taken up : and soon made a hole large enough for me to in- 

 troduce my hand and arm. No sooner had I done so, however, 

 than the female who was, as I feel sure, seated on the eggs, seized 

 my wrist, with a grasp like that of a vice, uttering the most 

 horrible cries and fluttering and struggling the while in the 

 most determined manner. However with some difficulty I 

 dragged her out and having ascertained with my disengaged 

 hand that there were eggs in the hollow. I managed to 

 despatch her by pressing her with my knee against the tree. 

 I was sorry to do this but then her skin was necessary for the 

 sake of the eggs. Having dropped her I proceeded to take the 

 latter out; these were two in number, of a dirty yellowish stain- 

 ed white color, and were resting on a few fragments of bark, 

 a feather or two, and several berries in all stages of decay. 

 They were, I regret to say, both cracked, evidently done in 

 the struggle of taking the bird out, who by the way was 

 fat as butter and in first rate feather, not looking at all 

 ragged or dirty as I expected. The hollow was about 2 feet long 

 by 10 inches in height, the entrance being an irregular oval in 

 shape, and measuring 10 inches by 7£ inches, after the plastered 

 dung was all removed. I forgot to mention that my atteution 

 was attracted to the nest by seeing the cock bird feeding his 

 mate : this he did by putting single berries one after another 



