HOMRAI OF THE HIMALAYA. 



With respect to food, my impression is that the Homrai is almost 

 exclusively frugivorous. That he is altogether so, at certain seasons, is un- 

 questionable ; for, out of six birds which I opened in January and February, 

 there was not one the stomach of which contained a single particle of any 

 thing but the fruit of the Pipal tree. 



When and how the Homrai nidificates, I cannot ascertain : but I pre- 

 sume that his habits in respect to breeding are similar to those of the 

 JBuceros Nijjalensis, a species of nearly equal size, tenanting- the same 

 region which I described four years ago in the Society's Transactions. And 

 it may be observed, that this peculiar nidification explains the serious in- 

 jury done to the bill ; which nothing that is known of the bird's habits in 

 respect to food will, in the least, account for. The mature male of the 

 Homrai species measures four and a half feet long, and six feet in width 

 between the wings. 



The bill is nearly a foot in length, of straight measurement, — consi- 

 derably more, if measured along the curve ; and the tail is one and a half 

 foot. The bill and casque are both extremely large, and bear a close 

 resemblance in their forms to those of the Bifronted Buceros. The legs are 

 short and stout, and the feet exhibit the perfection of that peculiar struc- 

 ture which induced Cuvier to separate his Syndactyles from the promis- 

 cuous heap of the Passerine birds. The body is full and plump, but very 

 small in proportion to the size of the extremities. The neck is as long as 

 the body, the vertebrae being large in size, though few in number. It is a 

 lono- lank bird, of uncompact structure, almost helpless on the ground, and 

 of but limited power on the wing, with Icet incapable of grasping, in the 

 raptorial sense, but adiuirahly snitcd for iayinu a slroim hohl liie 

 laro-er branches of those tall trees in \\ liii li the species seem to spcMid nearly 

 their whole lives — feeding and roo^lini: in our and the sanir plac(\ and 

 having no necessity to go abroad in search of water, since tlu-y never take it. 



