COURTS OF JUSTICE 147 



bird immediately takes her position, and when the 

 yoxmg birds are hatched out a group of adults feeds 

 them until they are able to feed themselves. The 

 nest is respected as the common property of the 

 bird group and each bird is interested in its wel- 

 fare. 



Some, however, like the hornbills, are never com- 

 pelled to adopt such measures, as their own skill 

 in masonry and other natural endowments render 

 each family safe unto themselves. These interest- 

 ing birds are plentiful in the tropical regions of 

 Africa and Asia and the southernmost parts of 

 Europe in several species. Most of them are quite 

 large, several exceeding four feet in length. They 

 are famed for their extraordinarily large beaks ; in 

 some species these beaks are mounted by a casque 

 which appears like a second beak. Another un- 

 usual feature is their well-developed eyelashes. 

 Eyelashes are somewhat rare among birds. In fly- 

 ing these birds produce a noise similar to a rail- 

 road train. This is caused by "the air rushing be- 

 tween the bases of the quills" as the under coverts 

 of their wings do not, as is usual in birds, cover the 

 lower part of the quiUs. 



Yet with all these wonderful features of the horn- 

 bills, it is their nesting habits which are most in- 

 teresting. The hen deposits her eggs in a nest 



