88 
BIEDS OF BRITISH BUHMAH. 
Male. Bill and casque yellow^ tinged with orange at the tip and in the 
middle; the base of the casque,, a triangular patch on each side of the 
anterior end of the casque and the junction of the casque and bill black ; 
iris deep red ; eyelids black ; legs plumbeous ; claws dark horn-colour. 
Female. Lower mandible whitish^ the base black ; upper mandible and 
casque yellowish orange, turning red at the base and at the tip of the 
casque ; base of the upper mandible near the eye and orbital skin black ; 
iris bluish white ; eyelids orange-brown ; legs plumbeous ; claws horny. 
Length 51 inches^ tail 18*5^ wing 20*5^ tarsus 2*8^ bill from gape 10'3. 
The female is smaller : length 46 inches, wing 19*5, tail 18'5, bill from 
gape 9 '5. The casque of this species is of very large size, rather fiat at 
top, coming to two points in front and considerably broader than the bill. 
The Great Pied Hornbill is found abundantly in all the dense virgin 
forests of British Burmah, both in the plains and hills. 
To the north it extends through the Indo-Burmese countries and the 
hill-tracts of Eastern Bengal to the Himalayas, and it is found in a 
considerable portion of Southern India. To the south it ranges down the 
Malay peninsula to Sumatra ; and Dr. Tiraud states that he met with it 
in Cochin China. 
This enormous Hornbill, the largest of the family that is found in 
Burmah, occurs in flocks of from six to twenty individuals in most parts 
of the densely wooded portions of the country. Occasionally it may be 
seen well out on an open plain, but on such occasions its object is to 
secure the fruit growing on some isolated tree; it quickly retires to the 
forest if disturbed. The noise made by its wings when flying is very loud, 
and may be heard a long distance. The food of this Hornbill appears to 
be exclusively fruit ; and I have not observed it feeding on the ground, as 
many of the other Hornbills do. The breeding-season commences in 
March or probably in February ; but I myself have taken the eggs in 
March only. A large natural hollow in a tree is selected at a considerable 
height from the ground, and the female having taken up her position 
within, is gradually immured by the male, who plasters up the opening 
with a mixture of dung, earth, bits of bark and leaves, till nothing is left 
open but a small slit through which the female can pass her bill in order 
to receive the food brought to her most assiduously by the male. The 
female remains shut up all the time she is incubating, and probably for 
some time after the young are hatched. The eggs are usually two in 
number, white, but much stained with yellow at times. 
