HORNBILLS. 



Living examples of these remarkable birds (the con- 

 cave-casqued hornbills, Buceros hieomis) were perhaps 

 never before 1881 brought to Europe in the adult state. 

 They are natives of the Indian islands, and some of the 

 large species are confined to Sumatra, Borneo, Malacca and 

 Africa. Some of these strange-looking, heavy, and clumsy 

 birds feed, principally, on fruit of various kinds, while 

 others occasionally catch insects, small birds, reptiles and 

 mammals. The voice in most of the species is loud and 

 most discordant, the flight is heavy and laboured, and the 

 noise produced by the wings while in the air can be 

 heard at a great distance. Although possessed of enormous 

 bills, these great birds are, in confinement, extremely 

 gentle, and become very tame and attached to those who 

 feed and caress them. 



HOENBILL STORY. 



One of the funny things that are from time to time told 

 to me, was related by Captain van Diependre of the s.s. 

 Baron Osy. At the animal sale at Antwerp, Jamrach 

 bought a large ground hornbill, which the captain brought 

 to London for him ; on its arrival, Jamrach looked into 

 the basket containing the bird, and exclaimed, "My Got, the 

 birt haf lost his pill," and sure enough the lower mandible 

 was gone. Upon referring to the captain he recollected 



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