288 



Marvels of the Universe 



microscope, it is pro- 

 babl\' more useful than 

 harmful, and helps, by 

 killing and eating mites 

 and small insects, to 

 preserve rather than 

 destroy books. 



HORNBILLS 



BY 



SIR HARRY JOHNSTON, 

 G.C.M.G. 



The Hornbills, which 

 range in size from a 

 bird no larger than a 

 crow (about eleven 

 inches in length) to one 

 that exceeds a large 

 turkey in size and 

 measures five and a half 

 feet from the tip of the 

 bill to the end of the 

 tail, belong to the 

 Picarian order of birds, 

 of which they are the 

 largest representatives. 

 Together with the 

 Todies, Kingfishers, 



Bee-eaters, Rollers and 

 Motmots, they consti- 

 tute a division of this 

 order, which is charac- 

 terized, amongst other 

 features, by a joining 

 together for half of 

 their length of the third 

 and fourth toes. Pro- 

 bably their far-back an- 

 cestors had their toes turned two and two like those of the Trogons, during which process the 

 third and fourth toe grew close together. Then the second toe was once more turned forward, 

 producing the type of foot which is now characteristic of the Hornbills and Kingfishers. 



But the casual observer will be more struck by the extraordinary beaks of these grotesque birds 

 than by their peculiarly fashioned feet. The beak is always ver}' large, though perhaps it does not 

 in any species attain to such a disproportionate size as in the American Toucans (whose resemblance 

 to the Hornbills is merely accidental and not due to near relationship). In some Hornbills not only 

 is the beak very big, but it is surmounted by a casque or helmet, commencing on the forehead and 

 growing on the top of the upper mandible. Thus certain Hornbills possess a really marvellous 

 appearance, and undoubtedly attracted so much attention from the ancient Aryan invaders of 



By permission of} 



THE RED HORNBILL. 



[.Sir //. //. Johnston. 



It is supposed — and there is little reason to doubt the supposition — that the 

 is the original of the fabled Phoenix of the Ancients- 



Hornbill 



