UNICORN HORNBILL. 9 



with its horn, formed the height of four inches; 

 near the head they were both of them fifteen Hnes 

 across: the horn was six inches long, and its extre- 

 mity appeared to have been shortened and spht by 

 accident, so that we may reckon it to be half an 

 inch longer: this horn, on the whole, has the shape 

 of a reaf bill, truncated and closed at its extremity; 

 but at the junction it is marked by a very percep- 

 tible furrow, drawn near the middle, and following 

 all the curvature of this false bill, which does not 

 adhere to the skull, but its posterior portion, which 

 rises on the head, is still more extraordinary; being 

 naked and fleshy, and covered with living skin, 

 through which this parasite member receives its nu- 

 tritious juices: the true bill terminates in a blunt 

 point, and is strong, consisting of a horny and 

 almost bony substance, extended in lamina?, the 

 layers and undulations of which may be perceived : 

 the false bill is much thinner, and may be even 

 bent by the fmgers: it is of a light substance, dis- 

 posed internally into small cells, in some degree, as 

 Edwards observes, resembling those of an honey- 

 comb: Wormius says it consists of a matter like 

 crab's eyes: the false bill is black from the tip to 

 three inches behind it, and there is a line of the 

 same black at its origin, as well as at the root of 

 the true bill : air the rest is yellowish white. Wor- 

 mius observes the same thing, and adds that the 

 inside of the bill and the palate are black. A 

 white, folded skin meets the root of the true bill 

 above on both sides, and is inserted near the cor- 

 ners of the bill in the black skin that encircles the 



