184 
The Birch of fhimlin. 
distance and when once heavd is not likely to he easily t'or<(otten. It is a 
long monotonic boom, almost metallic in timbre, in unison with which one 
feels the drums of one's ears vibrate and which sounds (to me at least) some- 
thing between the noise made by a l>ull roaring and that of a large gong 
beaten softl.y, or perha])s better, the sound of wires vibrating in the wind. 
It is frequently heard in the early part of the rainy season, less frequently 
at other times, The main food of the Ground IToi iibills consists of frogs, 
snakes and other reptiles, as well as large insects, c'Crc, which they find in the 
swamps and other place ? they haunt, but they also eat any dead ones or 
other carrion they come across, and in addition I am pretty sure that they 
also eat ground-nuts in their season and various bush-fruits, — at any rate 
they are frequently found feeding in ground-nut fields, where the nuts have 
been recently pulled, while one I knew in ca])tivity used to eat any kind of 
food, animal or vegetable, indiscriminately, and was particularly fond of all 
kinds of fruit. 
Native names are iMANSA-DIBA and MANSA-DIBONGO (Man- 
dingo), and NUOBIN (Jolotf). 
ISuraniMpxiixtiiJator. TRUMPETER HORNBILL. 
Rniitjc. West Africa : Senegambia to Nigeria. ( JI.L.) 
A bird of arboreal habits, about 20 inches in length, and black and 
white in colour, wliicb h;is a crested liead, a small cascjne, and pur|)lish red 
bare eye-patches. 
The following notes refer to a Hornbill I have seen a good many 
times and which I believe to be this species. I have always come across 
them at about the same season and always in the same sort of places, that is, 
in or near the forest portions of the Protectorate, Fogni on the south, Niumi 
on the north bank of the river. They evidently come here for the rains, no 
doubt to breed, and jn-efer well-wooded to open country. 
.May 30, lltUC). Bullelai, Fogni. Saw one large Horidjill which I 
think must be 
Marcli 2',). 1',I07. Far.iba. Saw three of the bigger black and white 
Hornbills, a size larger than the common brown one ('?=Zi//c((w/.s7c.s). 
May 2'J, 1907. Albreda, Niumi. Saw two of these birds ; pure white 
below, black above and on wings. Also heard a somewhat trumpet-like note 
(new to me) which I think was uttered by them. 
June 15, 1907. Albreda. Saw another. 
May 2, li)09. Brekama. Saw three. 
May 5, 1909. Sifor. '^aw one of these black and white Hornbills, 
but this one looked very little larger than the common Hornbill. Black 
throat, white chest and bright yellow beak very noticeable. Later on in the 
month and at the same place saw several more, but never when I had a gun 
with me. One pair appeared to be exploring the monkey-bread trees for a 
suitable nesting place. 
Since the above was written I have got a skin of one of these Black 
and white Hornbills which 1 hope to get identified when I reach home. 
They are certainly not (as I thought) Dt/cn/iistpx ft>:t/il(ifor, but probably an- 
