ANORRHINUS AUSTENI. 



GODWIN-AUSTEN'S HOENBILL. 



(NOT FIGURED, NO SPECIMEN OBTAINABLE.) 



Anorrhinus galeritus, Godw.-Aust. (nee Temm.) Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng. (1870) p. 96, vol. xxxix., juv. ? 

 Anorrhinus austeni, Jerd. Ibis (1872) p. 6, juv. ; Hume, Str. Feath. vol. v. p. 117 (1877) vol. vii. pp. 167, 499 (1878). 

 Anorrhinus tiekelli, Godw.-Aust. Ibis (1878) p. 208, juv. 



Hab. North Cacbar bills (Godwin-Austen) . 



A presumably young bird of some species of Hornbill was procured by Colonel Godwin- 

 Austen in the North Cachar hills, and was referred by him to A. galeritus, Temm. Jerdon later 

 described the specimen as belonging to an undescribed species, and named it austeni, after its 

 discoverer. Blyth, in his ' Mammals and Birds of Burmah,' considered the bird to be the same 

 as Cr 'anorrhinus corrugatus, having examined a head which he supposed belonged to Godwin- 

 Austen's specimen. In this, however, he was mistaken, as Lord Tweeddale states (Ibis, 1878, 

 p. 208) that this head had no reference to Godwin- Austen's bird. The latter gentleman, in the 

 communication to e The Ibis ' to which Lord Tweeddale' s remarks given above were attached, 

 believes that his example is the young of A. tiekelli, Blyth. Mr. Hume contends, however, that 

 this conclusion is erroneous ; and I am inclined to agree with him, and believe that Godwin- 

 Austen's bird most probably represents a distinct species. Fortunately, Mr. Hume has been 

 able to procure a very fine series of A. tiekelli of both sexes ; and none of them possess the 

 peculiar coloration of plumage described by Godwin-Austen in his bird. In no specimen of 

 A. tiekelli) as stated by Mr. Hume, are the throat and sides of the neck white, nor does either sex 

 have the base of the primaries white, or the primaries themselves barred with white, as is the 

 case with A. austeni. The bill being yellowish white would seem to prove that the specimen of 

 A. austeni was a male, as the females of this genus have a blackish-brown bill. In size A. austeni 

 and A. tiekelli are about the same. I have not been able to see this example of A. austeni, which 

 was deposited by Godwin- Austen in the British Museum ; and the ticket having been changed 

 upon it, identification of the specimen seems to be impossible. Under these circumstances, 

 and judging from the description, I consider that A. austeni cannot be referred to A. tiekelli, 

 and therefore leave it as a distinct species until the future acquisition of examples may define 

 beyond question its proper position. 



The following is Colonel Godwin- Austen's description of his specimen :— 

 "The whole of the upper part pale slaty grey, having in certain lights a greenish tinge; 

 throat and sides of neck white, dull rufous on the breast and belly, thighs, and under tail-coverts. 

 Primaries greenish black, tipped and barred with white ; a white spot formed by the tips of 

 the outer wing-coverts, the bases of the primaries being also of this colour; secondaries edged 

 whitish; tail tipped white; centre feathers same colour as the back. Bill yellowish white. 

 Length about 31 inches, wing 13, tail 13, bill to gape 4J, depth 2." 









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