HoltNlSILLS. BIRDS. SCANSOKKS. 371 
the midclle; the enormous bill is red at the base, yel- 
in front ; this helmet, with the corresponding part of 
lowish at the apex, and the upper mandible hears a very 
the bill is deep red, the rest of the bill is vellowish. 
large appendage at its base, extending nearly half the 
This is a large species with a greatly developed tail, of 
length of the bill, and turning up at the extremity to 
which the two middle feathers are much longer than 
form a sort of horn. This bird is found principally in 
the rest. It is an inhabitant of New Guinea. 
the islands of the Eastern Archipelago, 
THE ABYSSINIAN HORNBILL {Bucorvus ahyssim- 
THE MALABAR HORNBILL {Buceros pica) is about 
cus) is a very large species, measuring abo'.it forty-five 
two feet six inches in length, and is likewise black, but 
inches in length. It is of a black colour, with the wing- 
has the whole of the belly, and the tips of the wing- 
primaries white, and a red naked skin on the throat, 
feathers and of those of the tail, except the two middle 
which is also furnished with two wattles. The bill is 
ones, white ; the appendage of the upper mandible 
about nine inches in length, and curved throughout as 
extends more than half the length of the bill, of which 
in the preceding species ; it is furnished at the base oi 
its upper margin follows the curve ; it is rounded above 
the upper mandible with a comparatively small semi- 
at the base, but becomes sharp-edged towards the ajncal 
circular casque of great delicacy. This bird is very 
portion, where it is crossed by a black band descending 
common throughout Abyssinia, where it is known in 
obliquely to the upper mandible itself, and running along 
different districts under the names of Erkoom and 
the line of junction of the bill and its aj'pendage. This 
Abba-Gumbaii. It is said to feed entirely upon insects, 
species is common in India, and especially in Ceylon. 
especially locusts and beetles. The excrements of 
THE PHILIPPINE HORNBILL {Ducerus hicornis) is 
this bird, when ajiplied to the crown of the head in 
of the size of a fowl, black above and white beneath. 
bald people, are believed by the natives of Abyssinia 
with the two outer feathers of the tail black. The bill 
to produce a fresh covei'ing of hain. 
is very large and stout, and nine inches in length ; the 
THE RED-BILLED TOCKO {Tockus crythrorhynchus). 
appendage of the upper mandible is six inches long. 
The birds forming the genus 'Tockus, although very 
reaches back beyond the eyes, and terminates in front 
closely allied to the most typical Hornbills, are never- 
in two projecting angles. This bird occurs in the 
theless distinguished from them by the total absence of 
Philippine Islands, and also in China and Sumatra. 
any casque or excrescence at the base of the uppei’ 
THE FLAT-HELMETED HORNBILL {Buceros hydro- 
mandible. The present species, which is very abun- 
coroo;), which is likewise an inhabitant of the Philippines, 
dant on the west coast of Africa, is about twenty inches 
measures about two feet and a half in length. It has 
in length, with a bright red bill of three inches and a 
a flat appendage to the upper mandible, which, with the 
half long. Its head is adorned with a tuft of slender 
bill, is bright red in the adult bird, with a broad black 
plumes, which, with the whole of the back of the neck. 
band surrounding the base ; the back of the head, the 
are variegated with black and white ; the back is black, 
neck, and a part of the breast, are reddish-chestnut; 
variegated with white, the whole lower surface is pure 
the remainder of the breast and the belly are black ; 
white, and the tail is blackish-gray with the extremity 
the legs reddish ; the back grayish-brown, and the tail- 
white. 
feathers tawny-white. 
THE BLACK-BILLED TOCKO {'Tockus namtus), which 
THE ROUND-HELMETED HORNBILL {Buceros galea- 
is likewise a native of tropical Africa, is about the same 
tus) is remarkable for the great strength and solidity of 
size as the preceding species, from which it is distin- 
the basal appendage of the upper mandible, which is of 
guished by its black bill, with a spot of yellow on each 
great size, bnt forms a simple protuberance at the base 
side of the upper mandible beneath the nostrils. Its 
1 
of the bill, rounded above, and cut off nearly straight 
general colour is gray above and white beneath. 
! 
Order III.— SCANSORES. 
The order of Scansorial, or climbing birds, is distin- 
manently reversed, is reversible; so that the foot is 
guished from the other orders of the class by a pecidiar 
capable of assuming the Scansorial character— adding 
structure of the feet, as already indicated in our table 
not a little to the difficulty of drawing a clear line of 
of orders (p. 235), and under the order Passeres (p. 
demarcation between the two groups. 
272). This peculiarity consists in the reversed posi- 
Thus, although we have here retained the order 
tion of the outer toe, which is turned backwards, so 
Scansores, as generally admitted by ornithologists, it is 
that the foot of a Scansorial bird exhibits two toes 
not without a feeling that a considerable proportion of 
in front and two behind- — fig. 119. This is really the 
its members might with propriety be arranged amongst 
only character common to all the birds placed in the 
the Passerine birds, either forming a distinct group of 
order Scansores — the structure of the other parts, from 
Zygodaciyli, or Yoke-toed birds, or intermixed with 
which distinctive characters are usually derived, varying 
the other families in accordance with their apparent 
greatly in different members of the group — so that it 
relationships ; and it may be as well to indicate the 
includes birds of very different aspects and modes of life. 
differences leading us to this view before proceeding 
It must be admitted also, that in several forms referred 
further. 
to the preceding order, the outer toe, although not per- 
The Parrot.s, which may be regarded as the typical 
