HYDftOCORAX MINDANENSIS 



MINDANAO FLAT-CASQUE HOENBILI, 



Buceros mindanensis, Lord Tweeddale, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1877) pp. 543, 823, (1878) pp. 278, 946. 

 Hab. Island of Mindanao, Valley of Pasananca, Zamboanga (Everett) . 



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This apparently distinct species was procured by the officers of the ' Challenger ' in the valley 

 of Pasananca, island of Mindanao, about seven miles from Zamboanga, and described by the late 

 Marquis of Tweeddale {I. c). Three examples were obtained — a male, a female, and a young 

 female. Mr. Murray, the naturalist of the expedition, furnished the following notes regarding 

 them: — "The stomachs of all contained seeds and fruits, and grubs, centipedes, grasshoppers, &c. 

 These birds make a loud sound, like a crow somewhat, and frequent the highest trees. Several 

 times in the early morning we came upon them on the ground under the trees ; and I rather 

 think they scrape at the roots of trees for food." 



Though closely allied to the H. planicomis, the present species is distinguished by having a 

 corrugated plate on the sides of the mandible at its base, by the casque being narrower, by the 

 half of the maxilla and three fourths of the mandible anteriorly being white, and by the rufous 

 of the plumage being darker. The sexes do not differ in the colour of their plumage. 



Adult. — Casque, basal half of maxilla, and crura of mandible deep red. The corrugated 

 plates on mandible are a darker red ; rest of bill pale yellowish white. A black band surrounds 

 the eye, extends down the face, and covers the chin. Upper part of throat tawny. Breast black. 

 Rest of plumage of head and body, except tail-coverts, deep rufous. Interscapulars and wing- 

 coverts brown. Upper tail-coverts ferruginous ; under coverts rust-colour. Primaries black ; 

 secondaries margined on the outer web with ferruginous. Beatrices buff. The colour of the iris 

 seems to vary from bright yellow to a pale green in examples from different parts of the island. 

 Orbital skin blackish, with a yellow streak under the eye. Bare skin of throat yellow. Peet and 

 tarsi coral-red. 



Wing 15 J inches; tail 14; bill along gape 6*62; length of casque 6, breadth 2; tarsus 3; 

 middle toe T60. 



Immature Bird. — Has the casque not so fully developed anteriorly, and not overhanging the 

 true culmen. This latter is grey-brown, and the top of the casque red, as is also the base of 

 mandible. The grooved lateral plates have not appeared ; but there are indications of grooves 

 on the mandible at base. Peet and tarsi red. Bill blackish, tinged with red. Irides blue. 



Length, wing 14 J inches, tail 13 J, bill along gape 5*62, casque 4 J, breadth of same 1-|, 

 tarsus 3, middle toe If. 



Female has the iris white, feet light coral-red. 



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