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CRANORRHINUS WALDENI 



LOED WALDEN'S HOBNBILL. 



Cranorrhinus waldeni, Sharpe, Trans. Linn. Soc. 2nd ser. Zool. vol. i. (1877). 

 Hab. Island of Panay, Philippines. 



This fine and interesting species was obtained in the island of Panay, one of the Philippines, 

 by Professor Steere, who lately brought to England a collection of birds from the islands forming 

 that group. Mr. Sharpe described this species in a memoir upon the birds of the Philippines, 

 published in the < Transactions of the Linnean Society,' and named it after the President of the 

 Zoological Society, Viscount Walden. 



Professor Steere has given a short account of his meeting with this species, which is all we 

 know about it ; and for the opportunity of inserting it here I am indebted to Mr. Sharpe, who 

 kindly sent me a copy of his MS. The discoverer of this bird states :— " I shot this Hornbill on 

 the highest ridge of the mountains west of Ilo-Ilo. This is the only place where any of the virgin 

 forest is left ; and here alone I saw these birds. They were not very scarce ; but I could only get 

 a single specimen, as they flew so high in the trees that my gun could scarcely reach them." 



The C. waldeni belongs to a small group in this family, now composed of four species, 

 characterized by a rather small upright casque, corrugated laterally. It appears to be nearest 

 allied to the C. cassidix, and, like its immediate relatives, is rather a showy-looking bird. The 

 type, which is unique, has been taken to America by Professor Steere. Bill red, the basal half of 

 the mandible crossed by several prominent curved ridges. An upright keel-shaped casque, 

 broadest on its posterior end, rises above the eye and extends for nearly two thirds the length of 

 the maxilla, its anterior end being at a right angle to the culmen ; this casque is deeply grooved 

 along its sides for two thirds its length from the anterior terminus. General colour above and 

 below greenish black, wings also the same. Head and neck dark chestnut, fulvous above the eye 

 and on the ear-coverts. Tail cinnamon, apical portion and basal third greenish black. The 

 figure is two fifths the natural size. 



The female is not known ; but she will probably be found to have a general black plumage, 

 with the tail, and perhaps the casque, similar to those of the male. In size she will be slightly 

 smaller. 



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