

TOCKUS DECKENI. 



VON DEE DECKEN'S HOENBILL. 



^loD/j p. 4oy. 

 itocmw (Tbcfo*) dtefeni, G. R. Gray, Hand-1. Birds, (1870) pt. ii. p. 130. sp. 7896. 

 Rhynchoceros deckeni, Cab. Journ. fur Ornith. (1870) pi. 2. 

 Buceros deckeni, Giebel, Thesaur. Ornith. (1872) p. 498. 



Hab. East Africa (Finsch & Haktlaub) ; Voi-Fluss (Taita), East Africa (Hildebrandt) . 



This very distinct species was procured by Baron von der Decken during his journey into 

 Eastern Africa, and described by Einsch & Hartlaub {I. c). Its white cheeks, neck, and under- 

 pays make it impossible to be confounded with any other species of this genus. Nothing is 

 known of its economy or habits. The specimen described and figured is in the collection of my 

 friend Captain Shelley, who most kindly loaned it to me to be figured in this work. 



Top of head and back black. Superciliary stripe, sides of the head, neck, stripe down 

 middle of the back, and underparts white, tinged with buff on throat and breast. Ear-coverts 

 grey. Primaries black, with an oblong white spot upon the outer web near the centre. 

 Secondaries black, edged with white, some of them pure white, with an irregular black mark 

 in the centre, the innermost ones brownish. Eour central rectrices greyish black, the next two 

 black for two thirds their basal length, with the remaining portions white ; the external rectrix 

 black for only one third the basal length, rest pure white. Bill deep red for half its basal 

 length, rest yellow, with the cutting-edges and tips brownish black. Maxilla has the basal 

 half covered by a scale, with slight horizontal grooves. 



Total length 17J inches, bill on culmen 4, wing 7f, tail 9f, tarsus If. 



