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SPHAGOLOBUS ATRATUS 



BLACK HOBOILL 



Jfocmw afrafe*, Temm. PI. Col. (1830) vol. ii. pi. 558 ; G. R. Gray, Gen. Birds (1849) vol. n p 399 sp 11 • 

 Hartl. Jonrn. fiir Ornith. (1854).p. 127. sp. 387 ; id. Ornith. West-Afr. (1857) p. 162; Schleg. Mus Pays-B^ 

 (1862) p. 18; Bocage, Jorn. Sc. Math. Lisb. (1868) vol. ii. p. 347. sp. 97; Sharpe, Ibis (1872) p. 67- Giebel 

 Thesaur. Ornith. (1872) p. 496; Garrod, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1873) p. 464. 



Bucorvus atratus, Bon. Consp. Gen. Av. (1850) p. 89. sp. 3. 



Tmetoceros atratus, Bon. Consp. Vol. Anisod. (1854) p. 12. 



Buceros poensis, Fras. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (1855) p. 136 ( ? ). 



Hydrocissa atratus, Cab. & Hein. Mus. Hein. (1860) Th. ii. p. 171. no. 472. 



Sphagolobus atratus, Hein. Jonrn. fiir Ornith. (1864) p. 188. sp. 149; Cab. & Hein. Mus. Hein. Th. ii. p. 171. 



Buceros {Sphagolobus) atratus, G. R. Gray, Hand-1. Birds (1870) ii. p. 131. sp. 7914. 



Hab. Ashantee (Pel) ; Fernando Po (Fraser) ; Gold Coast (Schlegel). 



Although a close ally of B. {Ceratogymna) elatus, the present species is always to be distin- 

 guished from it by the shape of the casque and the colouring of the rectrices. The casques of the 

 two birds, indeed, bear no resemblance to each other— that of the present species being swollen and 

 rounded on its upper edge, with both the posterior and anterior ends presenting a steep angle 

 with the oilmen. The females of the two are similar in appearance ; but the colouring of the tail 

 will indicate the species. Both are natives of the west coast of Africa, their range into the 

 interior being unknown. 



Male.— Maxilla and tip of mandible black ; mandible apparently reddish on its basal half ; 

 casque large, swollen and rounded on top, curving similarly to the culmen, rises from the maxilla 

 about one third from the tip, inclines forward at a steep angle, and extends backward over the 

 head, and returns to the base of the maxilla at a rather acute angle. Lower portion along the 

 bill black ; upper part and anterior end apparently light horn-colour. Head covered by a long 

 crest, which with the entire plumage of the body is black glossed with dark purple. Wings and 

 tail dark green ; of the latter the terminal third of all the feathers except the median ones white. 

 Tarsus black. Length of crest 7J inches, height 1\ ; length of bill 6£ inches; height of 

 mandibles 2 inches ; wings 15J inches ; tail 14 inches. Total length without bill 26 inches. 



Female.— Bill and casque much smaller than the male; the latter rises upright from the 

 culmen, is rounded on top, increases in width towards its posterior end, and is lost in the crest of 

 the head. Maxilla and point of mandible black ; the base of the mandible is apparently red ; a 

 white spot near the base of maxilla extending onto the mandible. Casque black on sides, horn- 

 colour on top. Head, neck, and upper part of breast brick-red. Plumage of body black with 

 purple reflections. Wings and tail dark green; all the feathers of the latter, except the 

 median ones, have their terminal third white. Length of bill 4J inches, height to top of 

 crest 2J ; wing 13^ inches ; tail 10^ inches. Total length 24 inches. 





