BIRDS OF THE LARUT HILLS, 27 
This magnificent Hornli!l, though constantly heard, seems 
very shy, and though I saw a pair once or twice I failed to greta 
specimen. Davison has described its note excellently. He Says, 
“The note is very peculiar and powerful; it begins with a series 
of whoops, uttered at intervals that grow gradually less till, 
after ten or a dozen quick repetitions the call ends ina harsh 
cackling laugh.” This account would be hard to improve on. 
The first notes sound not unlike the distant blow of an axe 
on timber, and it is doubtless this species that is referred to 
in the Malay legend of the man who cvt down his unfortun- 
ate mother-in-law’s house and then burst into a peal of laugh- 
ter, for which he was punished by being turned into a bird. The 
use of the heavy ivory casque of this hornbill remains to be 
discovered. 
94. Chetura gigantea. (Temm.) 
The Brown-necked Spine-tail Swift. 
Often seen hawking over the hills. 
95. Chetura leucopygialis. (Blyth.) 
The Grey-rumped Spine-tail. Very common up to 8000 
feet or so; 1 forget whether | observed it higher. It has none 
of the arrow-like speed of the larger Spine-tails. (2.) 
96. Collocaita francica. (Gmel.) 
The Little Grey-rumped Swiftlet. 
Common at the higher elevations. 
97. Coilocalia linchi. (Horsf. and M.) 
Horsfield’s Swiftlet. The same applies. This charming 
little swift is very fond of building in rooms, etc. A _ pair did 
their best to start a nest in the Tea Garden bungalow when I 
was there. They never succeeded in getting anything to stick 
to the white paint of the ceiling, but carried on the attempt 
perseveringly fora long time. In the Andamans, where this 
species is numerous, I have seen it roosting in buildings, clinging 
to the walls in clusters like aswarm of bees. On these occa- 
sions 1 have often seen one catch its mate, unable to find room 
