CATALOGUE. 
587 
and the same place, and having no necessity to go abroad in search 
of water, since they never take it. 
From a comparison of many specimens of the Homrai, showing 
both sexes in maturity, and the young in various stages of progres- 
sion towards it, I am led to conclude that the body does not reach 
its full size under two or three years, and that the bill and casque, 
especially the latter, are not perfectly developed in less than four or 
five years. 
The casque and upper mandible deep waxen-yellow, passing to 
rich red on the top of the casque and towards the tip of upper man- 
dible ; the tip itself and the lower mandible ivory-white ; base of 
both mandibles, anterior and posterior surface of the casque, a line 
along the ridge of the bill, its cutting edges, and the whole inner 
surface of the bill, and naked skin round the eye, black ; iris 
intense crimson. The female, and young of a year old, have the iris 
pure hoary, the naked skin of the ophthalmic region pale purpures- 
cent dusky, and the black colour, which distinguishes the casque 
and ridge, cutting edges and interior surface of the bill in the male, 
being red." 
Mr. Hodgson also gives lengthened descriptions of the growth of 
the young of this bird, and also an elaborate account of the skeleton, 
by Dr. M. J. Bramley. 
The Eev. J. Mason, in his work on the Natural Productions of 
Eurmah, states, of the Concave Hornbill : " Their nests are con- 
structed in a superior manner, of clay, in the stumps or hollows of 
old trees. After the female has layed five or six eggs, the male bird 
shuts her entirely in with mud, except a small orifice where she can 
only peep out her head ; here she must sit during her incubation, 
for if she breaks through the inclosure, her life pays the forfeit ; but 
to compensate for the loss of freedom, her spirited mate is ever on 
the alert to gratify his dainty mistress, who compels him to bring 
all her viands unbroken ; for if a fig or any fruit be injured, she will 
not touch it." 
Captain Tickell, writing from the Tenasserim provinces, remarks : 
" I obtained the egg of JBuceros cavatus, and have seen with my own 
eyes that the male builds the female in by covering the hole in the 
tree where she incubates with mud, leaving only room for her bill to 
protrude and receive food from his ! I thought that this was a 
fable."— (J. A. S. Beng. XXIV. p. 279.) 
The reader will find an anatomical account of this bird by Prof. 
Owen in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society, 1833, p. 102. 
