80 BUCEEOTlDiE. 



1876, was an excessively regular oval. The shell rather finer than 

 in the case of the egg first taken, but as before entirely glossless. 

 The ground-colour of the egg is white, with a very faint brownish 

 pinkish tinge, and it is closely stippled all over with purer white 

 specks. This egg measures only 2-12 by 1'57. 



Rhytidoceros undulatus (Shaw). The Malayan Wreathed 



Hornbill. 



Ehyticeros obscurus (Gm.), Hume, JRouffh Draft N. Sr E. no. 146 

 ter ( Cat. no. 145 bis). 



The only egg of the Malayan Wreathed Hornbill that I have 

 seen was taken near Sandoway on the 12th March by Mr. Theo- 

 bald. It is a moderately broad oval, slightly compressed towards 

 the smaller end ; a dull, glossless, chalky white egg with a rough 

 surface and tinged brownish towards the larger end. Held up 

 against the light, the shell is a pale buffy yellow. It is very like 

 the egg of Ocyceros hirostris, but larger, coarser, and rougher. 

 It measures 1-95 by 1*5 inch. 



Mr. Theobald writes: — " The pZicaiws eggs were taken at my 

 order on March 12th in Sandoway. I had for some little time 

 noticed numbers of this species flying about in pairs, and latterly 

 the males, with their craws ludicrously distended with fruits, return- 

 ing at night alone. I accordingly enquired of some villagers if 

 they could get the eggs, and the result was just two eggs taken in 

 one tree. There is no doubt of the species, as it was the only one 

 there, and one that is well known to the natives." 



Major Bingham writes from Tenasserim : — " 1 was unfortunate 

 with this bird, only one of three nests examined contained eggs ; 

 and again when I secured these latter the female managed to elude 

 us by getting up well into the hollow above, which was in a huge 

 dead thingan {Hopea odorata). I took the eggs and fooUshlj' left 

 two Karens to cut down the tree, and bring me the female. Bad 

 scran to them, they did so, but spoilt her for a specimen, pulling 

 out the whole tail in dragging her out. However, I have kept the 

 head, the beak of which straight from gape to point measures 6'43 

 inches, so there is no mistake. The two eggs taken are miniatures 

 of some of D. cavaius, but they seem to be broader in proportion 

 to their length than the majority of eggs of the latter species. 

 They measure respectively 2-28 by 1-65 and 2-22 by 1-64." 



He adds : • — " Subsequent to the taking of the nest above 

 described, I got two others on the 5th March, each containing two 

 eggs, and a fourth on the 17th of the same month, also with two 

 eggs, hard set. It is pretty clear therefore that the bird lays no 

 more than two. 



" I also procured two nests respectively on the 3rd and 15th 

 March, both in thingan trees {Hopea odorata). The first con- 

 tained one egg, measuring 2-54 by 1-67 ; the second two, measuring 

 2-61 by 1-67 and 2-50 by 1-67."' 



The eggs of this species hardly differ from those of D. hicornis. 



