CATALOGUE. 
585 
mandible whitisb, at the base blackish. The male bird has the space 
between the prominence and the true beak in front blackish, from 
which a black stripe runs down the crest of the beak towards the 
point, and the posterior termination of the prominence is also dusky 
in the male, red in the female. This Hornbill is very shy, and diffi- 
cult to approach. The noise of its wings when flying is very loud, 
and can be heard some distance off. The Malyalum name signifies, 
I am informed, *that make the jungles resound.'" — (W. Elliott's 
Notes.) 
In the " Asiatic Eesearches," Mr. Hodgson states : " The Homrai 
tenants the whole of the lower ranges of hills which lie contiguous 
to the plains, from Haridwar on the west to Assam on the east, and, 
following the course of the larger rivers traversing these regions, it 
penetrates a considerable distance into their mountainous interior ; 
but in such cases always confines itself to the low valleys through 
which the rivers flow, and never ascends the neighbouring lofty 
mountains to dwell among them. I have been told that the Homrai 
is migratory, that it tenants the lower hills only during the winter 
and spring, and proceeds northward to the vicinity of the snows on 
the accession of the hot weather, there to reside during the hot 
months of the year ; but I am inclined to doubt the accuracy of this 
report, though it came from those who were familiar with the bird 
during its periodical residence in their limited district, and though 
I have known a tail-feather of the species to be picked up in the 
woods of Nepal proper, where the Homrai certainly does not reside 
at any season. 
It loves the lofty perch afforded by the fine old Burr and Pipul 
trees (^Ficus indica and religiosd), and is passionately fond of their 
fruit. The people of Dumja, a small open and cultivated tract at 
the confluence of the Eosi and Sun Kosi, in the interior of the 
mountains, but communicating by the narrow valley of the latter 
river with the lesser hills and Tarai, assure me that the Homrai 
frequents their district exclusively in the cold season, and that it 
migrates northerly towards the close of February, when the heats 
become excessive. I cannot imagine the species to be truly migra- 
tory, but think it probable that it resorts to the valleys during the 
cold weather, to the proximate heights, both for coolness and for re- 
tirement in the breeding season, during the hot and rainy months of 
the year ; and it may be easily supposed to move about from district 
to district, within the general limits assigned to it by nature, in quest 
of those various fruits which constitute its principal, if not exclusive, 
