B. niger, Vieill. Crescent Hornbill. Black ; thighs base, and tip of the tail white, bill yellowish, and the casque lunated upwards. About the size of the pre ceding, it considerably resembles ; but the casque of the bill is shaped like a crescent or boat, longitudinally affixed by its bottom to the ridges of the upper mandible. It is nut concave at the top, but flattened, and the two ends rise up, the one before and the other behind the base of the mandible; that in front somewhat exceeding the length of the other. It is a native of Java, where it. is said to frequent large woods, uniting in troops, in order to devour carrion. The female wants the patch of red brown between the shoulders, which characterizes the male, and is, besides, somewhat smaller than the latter.
B. monoceros, Shaw ; B. Malabaricus, Lath. Unicorn Hornbill, Indian Raven, Horned Crow, Horned Pie, Ste. Slightly crested. and black abdomen, and sides of the tail-feathers white, bill yellowish, with compressed casque, black above, and pointed in front. About the size of a raven, and measuring nearly three feet of outstretched wing. The curious structure of its bill is detailed by Buffon. The female is rather smaller than the male, and has the casque less elevated and its point less prominent.
These birds frequent high woods, perching on large trees, especially on the dead boughs. They nestle in the hollows of decayed trunks, and lay about four eggs, of a dirty white. The young are at first quite naked, and their bills have merely a slight ridge three or four lines high, and which is not clearly defined till the space of three months, when they take their flight ; and the point does not project till they are fully grown, and have assumed their mature plumage. This part, it has been remarked, is subject to frequent accidents, from striking against the branches of trees, when the bird is endeavour ing to detach the bark, in order to obtain the insects, small lizArds, tree-frogs, &c. which lurk beneath. The individual described by Buffon hopped with both feet at once, forward and sideways, like a magpie or jay. When at rest, its head seemed to recline on its shoulders; when molested, it swelled, and raised itself with an air of bold ness ; but its general gait was dull and heavy. It swallow ed raw flesh, and would also eat lettuces, which it first bruised with its bill. It caught rats, and devoured a small bird that was thrown to it alive. Its ordinary voice was a short hoarse croak; and it likewise uttered at intervals a sound exactly similar to the clucking of a hen. It was fond of warmth, spreading its wings to the sun, and shivering at a passing cloud or gale. It lived only three months, dying before the end of summer.
B. violaceus, Levail. nolaccous Hornbill. Violace ous black ; sides of the wing, and tail feathers, white; bill whitish ; casque compressed, obtuse in front, and marked by a black spot. Nearly resembles the unicorn species, but is of a smaller size. When viewed in a full light, it is very richly glossed with violet, green, and purple reflexions, though, when viewed in the shade, it appears of a greenish black. It is a native of Ceylon. Levail lant mentions that he saw one which had been brought to the Cape of Good Hope. It showed much attachment
and docility to its keeper, was fed with meat, either raw or dressed, and with various kinds of vegetables. It pursued and readily caught both rats and mice, which it swallowed entire, after having rubbed them in its bill. Whenever a quarrel arose among any of the other birds, it immediately ran to them, and, by the strokes of its bill, enforced a suspension of hostilities. It even kept the larger birds in awe, and would make an ostrich take to its heels, pursuing it, half flying, and half running. It imposed, in short, on the whole menagerie, more, we may presume, by the size of its enormous bill, than by any in trinsic strength or courage.
B. Abyssinicus, Lath. Abyssinian Hornbill. Black, with white primary quills, the secondaries ferruginous; bill black, and calque abruptly orbicular. According to Mr. Bruce, who has distinctly described this species, it is of a blackish fuliginous hue, measuring three feet ten inches in length, and six feet in extent of wing. On the neck are several protuberances, as in the tur key, of a light blue, changing, on various occasions, to red. It occurs in Abyssinia, generally among the fields °Nan', feeding on the green beetles that frequent that plant. As it has a fetid smell, it has been erroneously supposed to subsist on carrion. It usually runs on the ground, and does not hop, like most of its congeners ; but, when raised, it flies both strong and far. It is sup posed to be very prolific, as it has been seen with eigh teen young ones attending it. It builds in large thick trees, making a curious nest, like that of the magpie, but four times larger than that of the eagle, placed firm on the trunk, at no great distance from the ground, and with the entrance always on the east side. The young, according to Levaillant, are of a brownish black colour, with the larger wing-feathers rufous white ; and such seems to have been the specimen described by Buffon.
Of the species which want the horn-like appendage, we shall notice only two.
B. nasutus, Lin. &c. Senegal, or Red-billed Hornbill. Black and white, with a simple red bill, and red legs. Size not superior to that of a magpie ; length rather more than twenty inches. Common in Senegal, where it is known by the name of Tock. When young, it is very sim-, ple and unsuspicious, and will suffer itself to be approach ed and taken, but it gradual becomes shy as it advances in age. It frequents woods, the old birds perching on the summits of the trees, and often soaring, with lofty and ra pid flight, while the young generally remain in the lower parts of the trees, sitting motionless, with the head Con tracted between the shoulders. In their native state, they Iive on wild fruits, and, in confinement, on almost any thing that is presented to them.
B. coronatus, Levail. Crowned Hornbill. Black, with the abdomen, stripe on each side of the hind head, and tip of the tail, white; bill red, and slightly crested. Native of Africa, and described, for the first time, by Levaillant, who saw a flock of more than 500 of them in the company of crows and and preying on the remains of slaughtered elephants. The female deposits four white eggs in the hollows of trees.