372 



MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 



No, I —SOME FURTHER NOTES ON THE NARCONDAM 



HORNBILL {RHYTIDOCEROS NARCONDAMI). 



(With a Plate.) 



At the request of Colonel R. C. Temple, Chief Commissioner of the 

 Andamans, I visited Narcondam, on 22nd March 1901, for the purpose of 

 m:tking further notes on the Narcondam Hornbill and securing more skins. 

 I had also hoped to have found the nest and eggs, but unfortunately the 

 nesting season had not begun. 



The birds were paired and the cocks were attentively feeding the hens aa 

 they sat together on the trees, but all were still moulting, and from what I 

 noticed I should say that the nesting season would be quite a month later 

 than the time of my visit. 



The plumage of those we shot was in a very draggled state, the white tail 

 feathers being dirty and ragged ; and the whole appearance of the birds 

 was as if they had been confined in an ill-kept aviary. 



In the description of the bird in the " Fauna of British India," Birds, 

 Volume III, p, 149, and in the notes in the Society's Journal, Volume XII, 

 p. 212, 1 notice some errors. 



In no case have I seen it mentioned that the eye of the female is different 

 in colour to that of the male. The iridis of the cock bird is brilliant orange 

 red with a fine circle of pale yellow next to the pupil— not pale red as 

 stated — and the iridis of the hen a dark olive brown with the same thin 

 circle of pale yellow. The orbital skin is a rich smalt blue, the gular skin the 

 same colour only very much lighter and in places almost white. The " dark 

 brown '' markings between the furrows of the casque are due to dirt only, the 

 actual colour being a light brown, of a pinkish shade near the base. The 

 feet are a rich black with a light yellow grasp, and not brown as described, 

 although they turn brown a few days after death ; the claws are brown. The 

 bills seem to vary considerably with the age of the bird, not only with regard 

 to the furrows, but in total length ; those of the female being shorter in pro- 

 portion to their depth than those of the male. 



In the tail of the oldest hen-bird shot, there was one black and white 

 parti-coloured feather. 



C. P. CORY, (Ohaplatn.) 

 Port Blaik, Andamans, 2bth March 1901. 



No. II.— ON SOME DEEP-SEA FISHES COLLECTED BY 



MR. F. W. TOWNSEND IN THE SEA OF OMAN. 



By G. A. BouLENGEE, F.R.S. 



(With a Plate.) 



The fishes listed in this paper were obtained by Mr, F. W, Townsend by 



means of a fish-trap whilst engaged in cablework in the Sea of Oman between 



the 21si and 29th October last, and presented by him to the British Museum, 



