132 Mr. J. H. Gurney on additional species of Birds 
133. Merops savighii, Swains, ex LeVaill. Savigny's Bee- 
eater. 
Male. Eye bright crimson; legs and feet dark brown; bill 
black. Its stomach was full of a small kind of wasp. These birds 
take their food on the wing, and their flight somewhat resembles 
that of the Swallows; they frequently alight on the trees and 
bushes to rest; during flight they utter a harsh grating note. 
I believe they only inhabit the coast-lands, and are migratory, 
appearing only in the summer months. 
134. Bucorax abyssinicus (Gmelin). Abyssinian Horn- 
bill. 
Eye very light brown ; legs, feet, and bill black; skin of the 
neck and round the eye bright red. In the stomach of the male 
were snakes, beetles and other insects. These birds are grega¬ 
rious, and to be found here all the year round, but are not very 
plentiful, generally three or four, sometimes more together. They 
are very fond of hunting for their food on ground from which 
the grass has been burnt; with their strong bills they peck up 
the hard ground, and turn over lumps in search of insects, 
making the dust fly again ; having found an insect or other food, 
they take it up, and giving their head a toss, the bill pointing- 
upward, appear to let the food roll down their throat. They 
/££g also kill large snakes in the following manner*. On discovering 
/Cz, a snake, three or four of the birds advance sideways towards it, 
with their wings stretched out, and with their quills flap at and 
irritate the snake till he seizes them by the wing-feathers, when 
they immediately all close round and give him violent pecks 
with their long and sharp bills, quickly withdrawing again 
when the snake leaves his hold. This they repeat till the snake 
is dead. If the reptile advances on them, they place both wings 
in front of them, completely covering their heads and most 
vulnerable parts. Their call, which consists of but one note 
repeated, a deep and sonorous coo-coo , may be heard at a great 
* The manner in which the Abyssinian Hornbill attacks the large 
snakes was first communicated to me by Mr. Ayres in 1858, and appeared 
in the 4 Zoologist’ for that year. Mr. Ayres having confirmed the state¬ 
ment in his present paper, I have thought it worth while here to include 
it, although not now published for the first time.—J. H. G. 
