BUCEROTIDJE. 207 



Bueeros nasutm, Layard's Cat. No. 457. 



Buceros hastatus, Chapman's Travels in S. Afi-., App. p. 405. 



Buceros nasutus, Finscli & Hartlaub's Vogel Oat-Afrika's, p. 480. 



„ „ Finsch, in Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. vii. p. 277. 



„ „ Sharpe's Cat. No. 73. 



This species does not occur in Great Namaqua Land, 

 but is found in Southern Damara Land, where, however, 

 it is far from common, and excessively shy ; in the 

 northern parts of Damara Land it is less shy and very 

 common ; and it is also to be met with in the Lake- 

 regions. It is seen in small families, rarely exceeding 

 half a dozen individuals. It roosts on large trees if 

 such be within reach, generally returning nightly to a 

 fixed roosting-place ; it usually perches upon trees about 

 halfway up, and, unlike T. melanoleucus and T. flavi- 

 rostris, rarely alights on the topmost boughs. In com- 

 mon with the rest of the genus it appears to suffer 

 very much from the heat during the most trying season 

 of the year, when it may be found perched at noon 

 in the shadiest part of the forest, gasping as if for 

 breath, and may then be approached and shot much 

 more easily than at other times. When on the wing 

 it occasionally utters short piercing cries. 



This Hornbill is almost omnivorous ; but its principal 

 food consists of berries, young shoots, and insects. 



The irides are reddish brown; the legs brownish 

 black; the bill in the adult bird black, with a large 

 triangular yellowish-white patch on the upper mandible, 

 and a few narrow transverse bars of the same colour on 

 the lower. In the young bird these transverse bars are 

 also visible, and the bill is more or less black, with the 



