PHOLIDOPHALUS SHARPII 



SIAKPE'S HOENBILL. 



Buceros fistulator, Cassin, Proc. Acad. Nat. Scien. (1859) p. 139. sp. 161 ; Sharpe, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1871) 



p. 139. 

 Buceros sharpii, Elliot, Ibis, (1873) p. 177; Barb, du Bocage, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1873) p. 702; id. Ornith. Ang. 



(1878) p. 114. 



Hab. Angola (Hamilton) ; rivers Camma, Muni, and St. Paul's (DuChaillu) . 



I described this bird from a fine adult male from Angola in the collection of Mr. Sharpe, 

 which is now in the British Museum. It is nearest allied to the B. fistulator of Cassin, but 

 may be easily distinguished by the white lateral rectrices— those of its relative being black, 

 merely tipped with white. Mr. Cassin evidently had this species before him, in a collection 

 sent to Philadelphia by DuChaillu, a list of which was published in the ' Proceedings of the 

 Academy of Natural Sciences ' for 1859 ; but he imagined it to be the adult of B. fistulator 

 instead of a new species, and so described it. I have seen several specimens of this species in 

 various museums ; and in nearly every instance it was confounded with B. fistulator. Of the 

 economy and habits nothing has been recorded; but this species will undoubtedly in both 

 resemble its near ally B. fistulator. 



Bill without casque ; mandible swollen into a prominent ridge, broad, and corrugated at the 

 hase, becoming narrow anteriorly, and gradually falling into the outline of the culmen ; the 

 base, which ends abruptly about half an inch above the head, has four rather deep rounded plaits. 

 The mandible is rugged, and furrowed with diagonal grooves nearly to the end, with the 

 cutting portion serrated. The culmen and tips of bill yellowish horn-colour ; a broad stripe for 

 about two thirds the length of the maxilla, and nearly all the mandible (save the tip above 

 mentioned), black. Base of maxilla beneath the nostril and spot on base of mandible yellowish 

 white. Head covered with a long crest ; feathers of cheeks and throat also long and loose ; all 

 these parts, together with the back, black with a bright greenish lustre. Primaries black. 

 Secondaries, with the exception of the three innermost ones, white for three fourths their 

 entire length, greenish black at base; the innermost ones same colour as the back. Under 

 wing-coverts, lower part of breast, under tail-coverts, rump, and legs pure white. Tail, 

 the two median feathers black for their entire length ; the ones next to the median on 

 either side white for half their length from the tip, remaining portion like the central 

 ones; the lateral feathers pure white for their entire length, with the exception of the 

 outermost ones, which have the basal half of the outer webs black. 



Total length 21 inches, wing 11, tail 9 J. 



My description and figure were taken from the type in the British Museum. 



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