148 THE HUMAN SIDE OF BIRDS 



made in the hollow of a tree, and when she is ready- 

 to incubate she goes into the nest and is there 

 walled in by her mate. Only a tiny hole is left as a 

 window where he can bring her food and water 

 during her long imprisonment. She does not in the 

 least object to the confinement; in fact she even 

 aids in closing up the wall with the mud that her 

 mate brings for that purpose, and when it is fin- 

 ished it is exceedingly strong. If she were not shut 

 up in this manner, monkeys, snakes, and other ene- 

 mies would not only destroy the eggs or young, 

 but would take her life also. If an attempt upon 

 the nest is made, the female places her large bony 

 crest over the window, effectively closing it against 

 would-be assassins. 



Several years ago Dr. Gunther, of the British 

 Museum, exhibited before the Zoological Society 

 of London the trunk of a tree from Cape Colony, 

 with a hornbill's nest. "The female," he said, "when 

 taken, was unable to fly and was simultaneously 

 moulting all the wing and tail-feathers, thus pre- 

 senting the appearance of a half-fledged young 

 bird. This species, therefore, confirms the observa- 

 tion made on other species of the genus, viz., that 

 the hornbills pass through a complete moult in the 

 six or eight weeks during which they are imprisoned 

 with the eggs and young." 



