180 BILLS OF 



be nothing but equal to the individual parts of which 



it is made up, either in quality or in quantity. But 

 to return to our more immediate subject. 



Many of the foreign species of omnivorous birds 

 differ greatly in their bills, as well as in their general 

 appearance, from those which are met with in the 

 British islands. The most remarkable of these are 

 chiefly inhabitants of warm countries ; and the horn- 

 bills (Buceros) and birds of Paradise {Paradisea) may 

 perhaps be regarded as the two extremes, at least in 

 peculiarity of structure. 



The following figure of the bill of one of the horn- 

 bills of India and the Oriental Isles, Nvill give some 

 notion of the form of this singular organ. 



HornbiU, 



The bills of the other species differ from that of 

 this one chiefly in the form of the horny enlargement 

 on the base of the upper mandible ; but as that is 

 not developed, or at least does not attain its full size 

 till the birds arrive at maturity, which takes three or 

 four years ; and as it is i^ot nearly as much deve- 

 loped in the females as in the male?, it is subject to 



