KUNGL. SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR. BAND 47. NIO 5. 71 



In the primeval forests on the eastern slopes of Kenia these birda were often heard 

 but seldom seen as they usually kept themselves in the tops of the highest trees and always 

 were on the lookout. 



In the forest near Meru borna I succeeded in obfcaining some specimens after having 

 stalked them in vain several times. They visited here as well the crowns of the highest 

 trees rising above the others, and they made an awful noise producing sounds resembling as 

 well the croaking of a crow as the note of an irritated duck but with a number of grät ing 

 sounds besides. When they had detected some danger, off they went screaming, and 

 with heavy rustling strokes of wings they flew to another big tree some way off where 1 lic 

 noisy concert began again. 



The males are easily recognized on their big helmet which is of varying size and shape 

 in different specimens. 



Specimens shot near Meru borna the last days of January and the first days of Febru- 

 ary had mostly fresh plumage but had not yet fully finished the moulting process, the 

 middle tail feathers being not fully developed, and the outer not changed. 



Lophocerus melanoleucus (A. Lcht.). 



Rchw. II. p. 249. 



In the forest near Meru borna this Hornbill was rather common but not easy to ob- 

 tain as it usually kept itself hidden in the dense foliage or visited the tallest trees which 

 spread out their crowns above the other forest, almost beyond range for a shotgun. ' I 

 succeeded, however, in securing specimens as well from this forest as well as from another 

 forest further north along the road to Luazomela, but on the acacia-steppe round this river 

 it never was seen. Its relative L. eryihrorhynchus had taken its place there. On the other 

 hand L. melajioleucus remained in its old haunts even when the greater parts of the forest 

 had been cut down and given place to negro shambas so that only scattered high trees 

 and some clumps of lower forest vegetation reminded about the original conditions of the 

 landscape. 



C. von Erlanger found this species at Ganale or Lower Juba river which apparently 

 is the northeasternmost limit of its distribution as the foothills of Kenia form the north- 

 ern boundary line in that country. 



Lophoceros nasutus epirhinus (Sund.). 



Rchw. II, p. 258. 



On the way back to Nairobi I found this Hornbill rather common in certain lo- 

 calities near Kagio where scattered acacias grew in grass-covered land interrupted by 

 shambas. It is wonderful, how difficult it is to detect this Hornbill among the branches 

 and twigs of an acacia, even if this is without leaves. The long tail and bill together with 



1 One speciinen was slint down from sucli a liigli tree that I did not know wliat kind of bird I had kil- 

 led hefore it was hrought to me by niy gunbearer. 



