ANORRHINUS COMATUS. 



LONG-CRESTED HORNBILL. 



Buceros comatus, Raffles, Trans. Linn. Soc. vol. xiii. p. 339 ; Temm. Plan. Col. (1830) vol. ii. (text) ; G. R. Gray, 

 Gen. Birds (1849) vol. ii. p. 399. sp. 16 ; Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng. (1847) p. 996, pi. xliv. fig. 2, and 

 Cat. B. Mus. Asiat. Soc. (1849) p. 44. sp. 186 ; Schleg. Mus. Pays-B. (1862) p. 8 ; Giebel, Thesanr. Ornith. 

 (1872) p. 497; Mull. & Schleg. Verh. Geschied. Neder. Ind. (1839-1844) pp. 23, 29, sp. vii. ; Hay, Madr. 

 Journ. vol. xiii. p. 149. 



Buceros lugubris, Begbie, Malay. Penin. (1834) p. 513; id. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (1846) p. 405. 



Berenicornis comatus, Bon. Consp. Gen. Av. (1850) p. 91. sp. 1 ; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. E.-Ind. Co. (1856-58) 

 vol. ii. p. 594. sp. 875; Moore, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1859) p. 450; Bon. Consp. Vol. Anisod. (1854) p. 2. 



Buceros (Berenicornis) comatus, G. R. Gray, Hand-1. Birds (1870) pt. ii. p. 128. sp. 7882. 



Hab. Malayan peninsula, Sumatra (Blyth). 



This very distinct species was first described by Raffles in the £ Linnean Transactions ' for 

 1822, from a young male, which differs from the adult in the brown colour of its back, wings, 

 and tail, and dusky hue of bill and casque. It is a very peculiar-looking bird, and is the type of 

 Bonaparte's genus Berenicornis. As I do not consider this species to be generically distinct from 

 A. galeritus, which is the type of Reichenbach's genus Anorrhinus, I have placed Bonaparte's 

 term among the synonyms. This genus includes six species, according to my views, two of which 

 are natives of Africa, and four of the Oriental region. But a single other name besides the one it 

 bears has been given to this Hornbill, viz. B. lugubris of Begbie ; and therefore its synonymy is 

 happily freed from all complication. The last-named author says : — " This bird is melancholy 

 in its disposition, but withal voracious in its habits. I had one in confinement for some time, 

 feeding it principally on plantains, which it devoured greedily, and never attempted to escape 

 from its perch. I destroyed it on account of the filth and, stench it generated." This short 

 account is all that I have met with regarding the habits of this species — not sufficiently attractive 

 to make further investigation desirable. This species is confined to the Malayan peninsula and 

 the island of Sumatra. 



Male.— A. low casque, being more like the elevation of the culmen, commences on the 

 maxilla, about one third of its length from the point, extends backwards to the base, and 

 disappears in the loose feathers of the crest. Head, neck, crest, breast, abdomen, tail, end of 

 primaries and secondaries pure white. Wings, back, and thighs black. Length of bill 6 inches, 

 height 21 ; length of crest on bill 4 J ; wing 15f ; tail 20 ; tarsus 2 J. 



Female.— Crest, end of secondaries and primaries, and the tail pure white ; all the rest black. 

 Length of bill 5f inches ; wing 15J ; tail 19^ ; tarsus 2. 



