290 



Marvels of the Universe 



slight ridge instead. In the absence of a lielmet, the exuberance of development about the head 

 is manifested in some cases by the growth of a crest or mane. Mane is almost the word which might 

 be applied, for example, to the great Red Hornbill of Nipal. In the still more remarkable-looking 

 Maned Hornbill of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula the head- feathers grow into a thick crest 

 which projects over the basal part of the beak in delicate white spikes. 



It will be observed that the beak of the Nipal Hornbill is strongly toothed, the teeth, of course, 

 being merelv due to deep notches in the edge of the mandible. This is a feature developed in not 



a few Hornbills ; but it is difficult 

 to see how it can be useful to 

 the bird, since the Hornbills do 

 not seem to crush or masticate 

 their food, but to swallow it 

 whole. The teeth, like the coloured 

 ridges in the beaks of some Horn- 

 bills, may be only an additional 

 ■' swagger " development, intended, 

 like the crests, to strike terror 

 into their enemies. Curiously 

 enough, in confinement, Hornbills 

 — especially the Ground Hornbill 

 of Africa — are amiable, good- 

 natured birds, that never seem — 

 at least, that is my experience, 

 and I have kept or observed not 

 a few of them in captivity' — to 

 make use of their formidable beaks 

 in an aggressive manner or with 

 the spitefulness of parrots, and 

 thej' probably look much fiercer 

 than they reallj? are, and depend 

 for protection more on their ex- 

 ceedingly nasty-tasting flesh than 

 on their clumsy and not over- 

 strong beaks. The black and 

 white Hornbills of Africa have de- 

 veloped an extremely loud trum- 

 pet-call, which is sometimes like 

 the braying of an ass, sometimes 

 like the loud cries of a woman 

 in distress. It certainly serves to 

 scare away from the Hornbills' haunts not only the native hunter, but also monkeys, baboons, 

 wild cats and civets, which might contemplate any tearing open of the nest and devouring of the 

 callow young. 



Hornbills have very peculiar nesting habits. A hollow is excavated in a tall tree, generally 

 in the fork between two branches. The bottom of the nest is covered with chips and dust dropped 

 into the excavation. On this surface about four eggs are laid — sometimes more, sometimes less. 

 As soon as the last egg of the clutch has been deposited, the female applies herself to incubation, and 

 the male then, using his beak as a trowel, plasters up the orifice of the nest with clay in such a way 

 that there is only a small hole left for the protrusion of the beak and head of the female, who is thus 



Photo by] 



THE BLACK HORNBILL. 



In this variety the sreat horn is supplemented with a bla 

 horn, it should be remembered, is hollow and constructed of 

 with light pithy walls, which minimizes the apparent weight. 



:k mane. This 

 L series of cells 



