Photo by Scholastic Photo. Co.\ [Parson's Green. having left the nest, the aperture CRESTED HORNBILL. through which she left is carefully

The Hornbills derive their name from the great size of the bill. closed up again, leaving the slit as before, and now both male and female devote their energies to feeding the young birds, which in course of time follow the example is more than probable that thisof their mother and leave their place of imprisonment. It gluing up first of the mother bird and her eggs and afterwards of the nestlings alone is solely

...a means of protection against predacious carnivora. " The nesting-season is during May and June, and it is noteworthy that the birds, if undisturbed, return to the same nesting-place every year. The saplings at the foot of the tree, sprung from seeds dropped in the first year of paring, afford signs to the natives of the number of years during which the tree has been occupied. If during paring or incubation the female or female and young are destroyed, the male takes to himself another mate, and repairs to the same nesting-place; if, however, the male and female are destroyed, the nest is never reoccupied by other pairs. An interesting incident was observed while on Mount Dulit. Espying on a tree the external signs of a hornbill's nest, and a male rhinoceros perched close by, I shot the male, and while waiting for my Dyak collectors to make a ladder up the tree to secure the female, I observed several young male birds fly to the nest and assiduously ply the bereaved widow with food, a fact which seems to indicate a competition in the matrimonial is no easy matter tomarket of the bird-world as severe as that among human beings. It procure embryos or nestlings of hornbills, for the natives are inordinately fond of both as articles of diet, and, further, are always anxious to secure the tail-feathers of the adults to adorn their war-coats and hats. is ingenious, though "The native method of catching the female during incubation

Rollers, Kingfishers, Hornbills, and Hoopoes 505

decidedly brutal. The tree is scaled, the resin-like substance is broken away, and the frightened bird flies from her nest up the hollow trunk of the tree, but is ignominiously brought down by means of a thorny stick (the thorns point downward), which is thrust after and twisted about until a firm grip in her plumage is obtained. The Dyaks, never very faithful observers of nature, believe that the female is shut up by the male, so that after hatching her eggs she may die, the maggots in her putrefying body affording food for the young. One Photo by IF. P. Dando, F.Z.S.] [Regent's Park. very curious habit of the rhinoceros- CONCAVE-CASQUED HORNBILL, INDIA. hornbill which I have not hitherto The noise made by bornbills on the wing is said to resemble that of a steam-engine. seen noted is the rapid jumping up and down on a branch with both feet together. This jumping motion is imitated by the Kyans and Dyaks in their dances, the figure being known to the Kyans as ' wan blingong.' "

That the HOOPOES, unlike as they may be in general appearance, are nevertheless intimately related to the Hornbills there can be no doubt. Graceful in contour and pleasing in coloration, it is a pity that the species which so frequently visits Britain, and has on itsmore than one occasion nested there, should be so ruthlessly shot down immediately presence is discovered. Save the wings and tail, the body is of a light cinnamon colour, whilst the head is surmounted by a magnificent crest of black-and-white-tipped feathers, which can be raised or depressed at the pleasure of the bird: the excepted portions of the plumage the wings and tail are buff, varied with bands of black and white. Thus it may be truthfully said to be a conspicuously coloured bird; yet this same livery seems also to come under the head of protective coloration, for we are assured that, when danger threatens, the bird throws itself flat upon the ground, spreads out its wings, and at once becomes transformed into what rather resembles a heap of rags than a bird. Escape by flight, however, instead of subterfuge, seems also at times to be resorted to, it will since, when pursued by a falcon, mount rapidly to a great height, and not seldom effect its escape. The domestic habits of the hoopoe are, however, by no means so charming as one would expect to find in so beautiful a bird. " All observers agree," writes Professor Newton, "in stating that it delights to find its food among filth of the most abominable description, and this especially in its winter quarters. But where it breeds, its nest usually in the hole of a tree or of a wall is not only partly composed of the foulest materials, but its condition becomes

Photo by scholastic Photo. Co.] [.Parson's Green. worse as incubation proceeds, for the GKOUND-HORNBILL. ten scarcely ever leaves her eggs, being

The legs of the ground-hornbill are much longer than those of its allies. assiduously fed by the COck aS she sits 64

The Living Animals of the World

(a feature strongly recalling the custom of the Hornbills), and when the young are hatched their faeces are not removed by their parents, as is the case with most birds, but are discharged in the immediate neighbourhood of the nest, the unsanitary condition of which can readily be imagined. Worms, grubs, and insects generally, form the hoopoes' food, and upon it they get so fat in autumn that they are esteemed a delicate morsel in some of the countries of Southern Europe, and especially by the Christian population of Constantinople." Beside the EUROPEAN HOOPOE, which also ex-

Photo by Scholastic Photo. Co.] [Parson's Green tends into Northern Africa, four other species are HOOPOE. known, three of which are African, whilst a fourth

An occasional visitor to the British Isles. ranges from India to Hainan. Nearly related to the birds we have just described are the WOOD-HOOPOES. They differ from their allies in being crestless, having a more curved bill, and a plumage of metallic purple, with a white patch on the wings and white markings on the tail. Their habits resemble those of their more highly coloured relatives.

CHAPTER XIII.

BEE-EATERS, MOTMOTS, TODIES, COLIES, AND TROGONS.

the present chapter we deal with a number of birds of singular beauty and gracefulness.

In their coloration green predominates, thus recalling the Rollers, Parrots, Plantain-eaters,IN and Kingfishers, all of which groups, as we have seen, contain a large proportion of green species. The BEE-EATERS, like the Kingfishers, Hornbills, and Hoopoes, have a foot of quite peculiar structure, the middle and outer toes being joined together throughout the greater part of their length. They are an Old World group, ranging from the British Islands to Australia, in the American Continent their place being taken by the Motmots and Jacamars, of which we shall speak presently. They are especially plentiful in the African region, somewhat less so in the Indian, the temperate regions of the Old World possessing but few species.

On rare occasions one species visits the British Islands. This is, furthermore, one of the most beautiful of the group. It has the head, neck, upper back, and a broad wing-bar of a ruddy-brown colour; the lower back buff colour; green wings and tail, with black tips to is pale green and white;the middle tail-feathers, which are longer than the rest. The forehead the ear-coverts are black; and the throat bright yellow, divided from the greenish-blue under-parts by a black band. "The name Bee-eater," writes Mr. Evans, "is well deserved, for in Spain [it] is a perfect pest to the bee-keeper, catching the workers as they enter and leave the hives." Like the Kingfishers, the indigestible parts of the food are cast up and deposited around the eggs, though bee-eaters do not appear to form a nest of them, as with the Kingfishers. colour are deposited in holes in banks, From four to six eggs of a beautiful glossy white or and this is worthy of special notice in tunnels bored vertically downwards in level ground for a distance of from 3 to 10 feet. How this is done is a mystery, for the bird's beak and feet look by no means equal to such a task. No nest appears to be made, the eggs being deposited at the extremity of the burrow without further preparation. Two species of the group, however, are said to form an exception, constructing a nest of straw and feathers.

Beefeaters, Motmots, Todies, Colies, and Trogons 507

These two, as well as the members of the genus to which the British bird belongs, apparently breed in colonies.

Unfortunately for the bee-eater, its flesh is palatable, whilst its plumage is in great demand for millinery purposes. Its persecution is of long standing, since more than 300 years ago Belon witnessed a particularly cruel experiment practised by the boys in Crete. Transfix-ing a beetle with a bent pin, to the head of which a thread was tied, and then holding its other end with their hand, they would let the insect fly. The bee-eater, which catches most of its prey on the wing, would dart upon it, and, swallowing the bait, be caught by the hook. Not unlike the Bee-eaters in general appearance and coloration, the MOTMOTS are birds of peculiar interest, and Photo by A. S. Rudland & Sons. this on account of a remarkable BEE-EATER. habit of one of their tribe a A native of the Malay countries. The long feathers on the throat are bright scarlet. habit which is perfectly unique, and to which we shall return presently. Belonging, as we have already remarked, to the to Paraguay, inhabiting dense forests, andNew World, they range from Southern Mexico is somewhat loose in character green, blue, cinnamon,being but rarely seen. The plumage and black in colour. The beak has the margins serrated, or saw-like; whilst the feet resemble those of the Kingfishers and Bee-eaters. As with the Bee-eaters, no nest is made. The eggs, three or four in number and creamy white in colour, are deposited in a hole bored by the birds themselves in a tree or bank, both sexes sharing in the work of incubation. Their food consists of insects caught in the air, small reptiles, and fruit.

The remarkable habit to which we have referred is displayed by the species known as the EACKET-TAILED MOTMOT, from the fact that the two middle tail-feathers project beyond the others, and have the greater part of the shaft bare, but terminating in a spoon-shaped expansion. In this there is nothing unusual, for such racket-feathers are common amongst birds. In this particular case, however, the feathers were originally entire, and acquired their characteristic shape artificially, the bird nibbling away the vane on either side of the shaft with its bill until the required shape is obtained. Such an act of conscious decoration on the part of a bird is elsewhere unknown throughout the whole class.

The TODIES are diminutive allies of the Motmots, frequenting hilly districts and woods. They sit with the beak pointed upwards, the head drawn in close to the body, and the plumage it would seem so, since at suchpuffed out, apparently oblivious of all around them at least allies, they are green intimes they may be caught with a butterfly-net. Like their larger coloration, but have a light red throat, and yellowish-white or pinkish under-parts, with green or pink flank-feathers. They vary in length from 3 to 4 inches.

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